TUCSON, Ariz. – Despite scoring seven runs over the final two innings, the Arizona Wildcats dropped a 14-13 midweek nonconference affair to intrastate foe Arizona State on Tuesday in front of 3,740 fans at Hi Corbett Field.
The four hour, forty-five minute affair featured 33 hits, 27 runs, four errors, 10 extra base hits and 12 different pitchers. In the end, Arizona State prevailed to improve to 21-24 on the season. Arizona fell to 31-16 and had a four-game winning streak snapped.
The Sun Devils grabbed the early lead, going up 3-0 in the fourth inning. Arizona got on the board in the bottom of the frame when
Ryan Haug had an RBI single to score
JJ Matijevic, who reached on an error earlier in the inning.
The Sun Devils added another run in the fifth to go up 4-1, but the Wildcats fought back right away.
Louis Boyd led off the inning with a single and
Jared Oliva drew a one-out walk to put two men on for Alfonso Rivas. Rivas belted a three-run home run to straightaway center field to tie the game at four.
But Arizona State exploded for a five-run sixth inning to take a 9-4 lead over the Wildcats. Again, Arizona fought back. With two outs and nobody on,
Cal Stevenson drew a walk.
Jared Oliva followed with an RBI triple to score Stevenson and make it 9-5. The next batter, Rivas, singled home Oliva to make it 9-6.
The Sun Devils scored once in the seventh to make it 10-6, which stood as the score until the bottom of the eighth when the Cats scored four of their own to tie the game at 10. With two men on, Matijevic doubled to score Oliva to make it 10-7. The next batter, Nick Quintana, hit a three-run home run to right-centerfield to tie the game and send it to the ninth.
The Sun Devils' offense kept coming and scored four in the top of the ninth to take a 14-10 lead. Arizona had one last rally in it and plated three runs.
Cameron Cannon led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI single from Alfonso Rivas. Stevenson then scored on a wild pitch and Matijevic made it 14-13 with an RBI single to score Rivas.
That brought up Quintana, who hit a ball hard to left field, but it was caught by Tyler Williams for the final out of the game to secure a victory for the visiting Sun Devils.
Rivas led the way for Arizona, going 4 for 4 with five RBI, three runs scored and two walks. He reached base all six times he came up. Matijevic also had a four-hit game, going 4 for 6 with two runs scored and two RBI. Stevenson and Haug each had two-hit games. Stevenson was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Haug was 2 for 5 with an RBI.
Arizona State's Eder Erives was credited with the win.
Robby Medel, who pitched the ninth inning, took the loss.
Arizona State will now head to Charleston, S.C., for a nonconference three-game series with College of Charleston beginning Friday night. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., MST.
