Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz- Freshman pitcher Marc Kaiser tossed a complete game, eight hitter and Matt Abram launched his sixth home run of the season as the Arizona Wildcats cooled off the red hot Oregon State Beavers 5-2 at Sancet Field Friday evening. Kaiser's complete game performance is the first for the Wildcats this season and the first in just over year. The victory lifts the Wildcats to 20-15 on the season and improves their Pac-10 record to 3-4. The Beavers, who are coming off of a 2-1 series victory over 3rd-ranked Arizona State, fall to 18-11 and 2-2 in conference play.
Arizona jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on second inning RBI doubles by Kenny Huff and Ken Riley. The Beavers would counter with a run of their own on a fourth inning double by Will Hudson that plated Chris Biles to make the score 2-1.
Wildcat outfielder Shelley Duncan padded the Arizona lead in fifth with another RBI double that scored Ernie Durazo from first. OSU would close the gap to one run with a RBI single off the bat of Biles.
Kaiser, who struck out four and walked four on the evening, faced disaster in the eighth and came away clean. The freshman righty survived back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with only one out. The Beavers, looking to jump on the opportunity, sent pinch hitter Jason McBride to plate. McBride, who was hitting .371 entering the game, worked the count to 2-2 before Kaiser induced the 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and kill the OSU rally.
Abram, who finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, gave the Kaiser all the insurance he would need, launching his sixth four bagger of the season to left center, scoring Durazo in the process.
With a 5-3 lead, Kaiser took the mound in the ninth and became the first Wildcat since Ben Diggins on March 17, 2000 to go the distance.
OSU and UA meet up again tomorrow for the second game of the three game set. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
