May 8, 2011
Arizona 15, Alcorn State 2 (Box Score) | 2011 Arizona Overall Stats
TUCSON, Ariz. - Konner Wade turned in a career-best seven innings on the mound, the offense pounded out 13 hits and the Arizona baseball team completed a three-game sweep of visiting Alcorn State with a 15-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Kindall Field/Sancet Stadium.
Arizona (30-16) won its sixth straight ballgame and reached the 30-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season and the ninth time in the 10-year tenure of head coach Andy Lopez.
The Wildcats erupted for seven runs in the third inning off Alcorn State starter Cole Vicars. Seth Mejias-Brean doubled to lead off the inning, and the Wildcats eventually loaded the bases after Joey Rickard was hit by a pitch and Bryce Ortega reached on a bunt single. Cole Frenzel followed with a two-run single to left field to start the scoring.
Later in the inning, Johnny Field picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice groundout and Robert Refsnyder drove in a fourth run with a double to right field. Jacob Meskin knocked in a run with a groundout, and Bobby Rinard picked up an RBI with single to center field. Rinard scored a seventh run in the inning after a defensive miscue in the outfield after Alex Mejia singled.
Vicars suffered the loss for the Braves after giving up the seven runs and six hits over four innings of work.
Alcorn State (22-23) stranded three runners on over the first four innings, but Wade took a shutout into the fifth inning. A leadoff double by Angel Rosa and an RBI single by Jordan Boston put the Braves on the scoreboard.
Otherwise, Wade pitched seven innings to improve to 2-0 on the season. The freshman right-hander scattered three hits and two walks to go with three strikeouts.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Joey Rickard blasted a solo home run to left center to push Arizona's lead to 8-1.
An inning later, the Wildcats tacked on four more runs. Mejia, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI on the day, drove in two runs with a single. Rickard, who scored two runs and drove in two, plated Mejia with a sacrifice fly. A fourth run scored on a wild pitch in the inning.
The Wildcat hitters, who did not strikeout once in 48 plate appearances in the game, remained on the offensive in the home half of the eighth inning. Mejia collected another run-scoring base hit and Brandon Dixon drove in a run with a single. A third run scored on a passed ball.
The Braves picked up their second run of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Releiver Matt Chaffee surrendered two hits, a walk and a hit batter, but finished the game stranding three runners in the ninth.
Rinard, who scored two runs and picked up three hits in the game, finished off a sensational weekend at the plate. The senior left fielder went 8-for-12 (.667) with two doubles, five runs scored and three RBI.
As a team, Arizona outscored the Braves 33-6 over the three games. The Wildcats hit .392 and limited Alcorn State to a .198 team batting average.
The Wildcats will resume Pac-10 Conference action next weekend with a three-game series scheduled at Washington State May14-16.
