Tucson, Ariz. -- Ryan Haug delivered a one-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a tie and lift the Arizona Wildcats to a 3-1 win over Sacramento State on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field.
Knotted at one run apiece in the seventh, J.J. Matijevic started the inning with a base hit through the right side. Bobby Dalbec followed with a walk and both runners were advanced a base when Justin Behnke laid down a sacrifice bunt. Haug then came up and singled to plate Matijevic and Dalbec and break the tie.
It marked the first hit of Haug's Arizona career. The sophomore catcher, who transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College, entered the game 0-9 in five contests this season. But his hit was the difference Friday night as the Cats took the opener of the three-game series.
"It's a great at-bat; he stayed within himself and didn't try to do too much," coach Jay Johnson said. "He got the right part of the ball. You couldn't ask for anything better there."
The three runs were plenty for the Wildcats (9-4) on Friday thanks to some solid pitching from starter J.C. Cloney and then reliever Bobby Dalbec. Cloney went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just one run. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out six in 107 pitches. The junior left-hander lowered his season ERA to 2.54.
He exited in the seventh after Sacramento State (8-4) tried to start a two-out rally. Leadoff hitter Blake Edmonson doubled and Trent Goodrich followed with a walk to put two on with two out. Johnson then tapped Dalbec, who normally serves as the closer, to get out of the mini jam. Dalbec responded by striking out Vinny Esposito, the team's No. 3 hitter.
Haug then delivered his hit and Dalbec put together two more dominant innings to close the game out. The junior right-hander, who also went 1 for 2 with a run scored at the plate, earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. His ERA is now at 0.61.
"We were spectacular from the mound today," Johnson said. "That's a good hitting team over there. We watched a lot of video on them against LSU and they were getting a lot of really good swings off on good pitchers. JC kept them off-balanced. He bent a couple of times, but didn't break, which allowed us to get deep into the game. Obviously turning it over to Bobby is what we want to do."
Arizona's other run came in the fourth inning. Louis Boyd started the frame with a double and was moved to third when Ryan Aguilar reached on a bunt base hit. Zach Gibbons then lined a single to right field to plate Boyd.
The Wildcats got seven hits from seven different players in the win.
The two teams will hook up again Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Grant Kukuk will start for the Hornets, while the Wildcats will counter with senior right-hander Nathan Bannister, who is looking to improve to 3-1.
