TUCSON, Ariz. – JC Cloney picked up his seventh win of the season, tossing six effective innings, and the Arizona Wildcats topped Oregon 5-4 in front of a season-high 5,208 fans at Hi Corbett Field on Friday night.
 
Cloney is now 7-0 on the season with a 2.05 ERA after his latest performance. The senior left-hander allowed three runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking one over six innings. Cameron Ming relieved him in the seventh inning and tossed 2 1/3 innings, giving up one hit and one run, while striking out two. Sophomore right-hander Cody Deason then came on to record the final two outs and pick up his second save of the season.
 
The Cats gave Cloney an early cushion, plating a pair of runs in the first inning off Oregon starter Matt Mercer. Cal Stevenson led off with a walk and Alfonso Rivas and Jared Oliva followed with a single and a walk to load the bases with no outs. After a pop out, Mitchell Morimoto, reached on a fielder's choice to score Stevenson and then moved to second on a throwing error by the second baseman. Rivas was able to come around and score on the error as well to make it 2-0.
 
Cloney allowed the first two men to reach in each of the next two innings, but wiggled out of trouble both times. In the fourth, two of the first three men reached, but Cloney got a 4-6-3 double play to again escape trouble. In the fifth, he worked a perfect inning, and then his offense gave him more support with a three-run inning.
 
Stevenson again started it with a walk and moved to second on an error when the Ducks tried to pick him off. With two outs, JJ Matjievic was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second. Mitchell Morimoto singled and Stevenson took a hard turn around third base, drawing a throw from catcher Tim Susnara. Susnara's throw sailed into the outfield, allowing Stevenson to score and Matijevic and Morimoto each to move up a base.
 
Nick Quintana followed by roping a single to score both runners to make it 5-0. Quintana's single marked the 23^rd straight game he's reached base safely.
 
Cloney made the five-run lead stand up in the sixth, with a quick 1-2-3 inning, but then the Ducks finally got to him in the seventh. With two men on and no outs, Morgan McCullough doubled to score Daniel Patzlaff and make it 5-1 with two men still on.
 
Ming came on and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. The lefty then got the next two batters to fly out, but both were able to bring home a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3. After another hit by pitch, Ming struck out Matthew Dyer to end the inning. Ming worked a perfect eighth and then came on to start the ninth. After a strikeout and a hit by pitch, Jake Bennett doubled to score a run and cut it to 5-4. Deason then came on, and after he hit a batter, he got a fly out and a ground out to end the game and preserve the victory for Cloney.
 
Offensively, Morimoto paced the Wildcats, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Stevenson drew a pair of walks and came around to score on both.
 
The Cats will now look to win the series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.