Arizona’s offense explodes to seal baseball sweep of Oregon

After a come-from-behind, walk-off victory against Oregon on Saturday night, Arizona baseball completed a three-game sweep of the Ducks with a 28-7 demolition job in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field.

The matinee game was a laugher from the start for Arizona (22-23, 10-14 Pac-12). After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Wildcats scored a combined 15 runs in the bottom of the first and second innings.

By the time Oregon (23-22, 8-13) came to bat in the third, the score was 15-1 and the Cats had already collected 12 hits.

“We really got after it,” coach Jay Johnson said afterwards. “We set the tone early and never let up.”

When it was all said and done, the UA had compiled 26 hits, its most in a Pac-10/12 game since 2006. The Wildcats also set a school single-game record for doubles with 13, and the 28 runs were the most they’ve posted in a single game since 2006.

And Arizona’s 54 runs during the weekend sweep—it won 17-6 on Friday and 9-8 in 11 innings on Saturday—was also a school record for a conference series.

For a team who has been sensational offensively all season long, this was a truly epic performance.

Despite having two their two best hitters in terms of batting average (Matt Dyer and Matt Fraizer) out of the lineup, seven different Wildcats finished with multiple RBIs on Sunday, while each starter recorded a hit in the game.

Nick Quintana led the way with five RBIs, while Austin Wells and Branden Boissierre each drove in four.

Seven of nine starters finished with multiple hits as well.

Justin Wylie had the most in the game with four, while six other Cats recorded three-hit games.

“We feel like we can hit any pitching,” Wells said after he went 3-3 with four RBIs and three walks. “It doesn’t matter who is out there.”

Starting pitcher Quinn Flanagan (4-4) got the win on the mound after throwing only four innings.

The freshman didn’t allow an earned run in his outing, as all four runs he did give up were via two errors from Dayton Dooney and a passed ball from Wells behind the plate.

George Arias Jr., Randy Abshier, Nate Brown and Jonathan Guardado combined to work the final four innings out of the bullpen, as the game was actually called after seven and a half frames due to Oregon’s travel plans.

Arias Jr. didn’t give up any runs in his appearance, while Abshier, Brown and Guardado each allowed one run to come across for the Ducks.

Amazingly, the shortened game meant that the Wildcats scored their 28 runs in only seven innings.

It truly was a remarkable performance as the Cats scored more than five runs in four different frames.

In a season that Johnson called “mediocre” after the game, Sunday’s blowout was certainly one of the highlights of the year.

With No. 22 Arizona State coming to town on Tuesday, this offensive explosion couldn’t have come at a better time for Arizona. First pitch against ASU is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST.

POST GAME INTERVIEWS:

Here is Arizona baseball head coach, Jay Johnson, after today’s 28-7 route of Oregon:

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Sunday, May 5, 2019

Here is Arizona freshman, Austin Wells, after today’s 28-7 rout of Oregon:

Posted by AZ Desert Swarm on Sunday, May 5, 2019

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