On its way to starting 12-0 at home, Arizona had mostly faced opponents not known for their offense. The exception was last week’s 3-2 win over ASU, which then went on to score 40 runs in three games at TCU.
The last opponent on the Wildcats’ season-long 9-game homestand, Kansas, was a very different story. The Jayhawks came to town averaging more than 10 runs per game, at least four in every contest and 29 at Minnesota last week when they clobbered seven of their 46 home runs including five in a row to tie the NCAA record.
So naturally, Arizona posted its third shutout of the season.
Six Wildcat pitchers combined on a 4-hitter, striking out 12 in a 5-0 win over Kansas on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona (16-4) won its ninth consecutive game and 16th in the last 17, the only loss coming to defending national champion Tennessee, while remaining perfect at home. The pitching staff allowed three or fewer runs in every game on the homestand and 16 overall, lowering the team ERA to 3.61 after being 11.16 following an 0-3 start to the season.
“I knew it was going to get better,” UA coach Chip Hale said of the pitchers. “We have great arms.”
Raul Garayzar went the first four innings, allowing two hits with a walk, a hit batter and five strikeouts. Garrett Hicks followed with a scoreless 5th, striking out three, then Hunter Alberini and Matthew Martinez each went 1-2-3 as Martinez struck out the side for the second consecutive outing to earn the win.
Mason Russell and Tony Pluta completed the combined shutout, the third for Arizona this season. It’s the most since the 2016 team that reached the College World Series finals had six.
Arizona’s offense provided all the scoring it needed in the bottom of the 1st despite only having one hit, an infield single. Maddox Mihalakis flew out to short right field with the bases loaded and one out, bringing in Aaron Walton on a sacrifice fly, but the right fielder lost the ball on the transfer from his glove and the other two baserunners took off thinking it wasn’t an out.
Garen Caulfield was called out at second but that play was overturned on replay after confirming an out was recorded and Caulfield couldn’t be forced. One pitch later Mason White came home on a passed ball.
Arizona added a run in the 2nd and two in the 4th, with both innings including a run-scoring hit from Brendan Summerhill. He was 2 for 4 with a walk, raising his batting average to .427 and his on-base percentage to .505 while logging his NCAA-leading sixth triple.
“We’ve got a very elite lineup, so I feel very comfortable knowing I got eight guys behind me that can get the job done if I don’t do my job,” Summerhill said.
Arizona hits the road for its next three games, visiting West Virginia this weekend. The Mountaineers are 17-1 and features several players who were part of the squad that won the Tucson Regional last season.