Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz.Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins (4-0) struck out a
career-high 13 batters and pitched his second straight complete game,
leading Arizona to a 4-3 victory over 15th-ranked Tulane in Tucson Friday
afternoon.
The Cats improved to 11-8 with the win, while the Green Wave fell to 5-4.
Diggins allowed just three hits through eight innings before running into
trouble in the ninth. Tulane scored a run to pull within 4-3 and loaded the
bases with two outs. Diggins struck out senior right fielder Mickey McKee
to end the rally.
Diggins allowed just two earned runs on six hits, five of them singles. His
13 strike outs were the most by a Wildcat pitcher since James Johnson
fanned 15 at Oregon State on March 28, 1998. He is the first Arizona hurler
to throw consecutive complete games since Ryan Frace did so on Feb. 26 and
March 4, 1995.
Tulane senior right-hander Henry Bonilla (1-1) also went the distance,
allowing three earned runs on seven hits.
Arizona rallied from a 2-0 deficit after three and a half innings. Junior
shortstop Keoni DeRenne hit his second home run of the season to cut the
lead in half in the fourth. In the sixth, the Cats scored twice, including
the go-ahead run on a two-out single by junior first baseman Ernie Durazo.
The hit extended Durazo's career-best hitting streak to 15.
The two teams will face off again Saturday at 11 a.m.
#15 Tulane 101 000 001 - 3 6 1
Arizona 000 102 10x - 4 7 2
Bonilla and Herz; Diggins and Cunningham. W-Diggins (4-0). L-Bonilla (1-1).
Hrs-UA: DeRenne (2).
