Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz.- The Arizona baseball team fell behind early, but rallied back to down St. Mary's (Calif.) 8-4, Monday afternoon at Frank Sancet Field in Tucson. Bolstered by the relief pitching of junior Brian Pemble, the Wildcats took the series opener from the Gaels upping their record to 5-2 on the season.
The Cats would fall behind 2-0 early on as Matt VanCoutren and Kaziim Summerville scored single runs in the first and second inning off Arizona starter David Brockman. Senior Ernie Durazo exacted a measure of revenge for UA with his 405 foot home run to center in the bottom of the second to cut the lead in half. Erik Torres came around to even the score later on in the same inning on an error by St. Mary's James Gaulke on Jason Shroyer's grounder.
Brockman would find himself in trouble in the top of the third, surrendering back-to-back one-out walks to Goulke and cleanup hitter Mark Teahen. Enter Pemble who quashed any St. Mary's hope of retaking the lead by inducing Tim Spooner to fly out to center and striking out John Engers looking to end the inning and the threat.
The Wildcats would use a string of four two-out hits to score four in the fourth inning to take the lead 6-2. Ken Riley, Brad Hassey, Justyn St. Clair and Matt Abram all picked up RBI in the inning as the Cats totaled six hits in the frame to take the lead for good.
Pemble would cruise through the St. Mary's lineup striking out five hitters in 4.2 innings before giving way to senior Daryl DeSalvo in the eighth. DaSalvo would work a perfect eighth and ninth inning to earn his first save of the season for the Cats.
Offensively, Abram led all hitters going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three RBI. Senior Erik Torres finished the afternoon 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
The Cats and the Gaels will meet for game two of the three game series on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Sancet Field.
