University of Washington
10-6, 0
Arizona
13-6, 0
Baker Homers Twice, But Huskies Fall 17-7 To Wildcats
March 21, 2016 | Baseball
SEATTLE – Chris Baker homered twice for Washington and drove in five runs, but Arizona put up a seven spot in the top of the first inning and won 17-7 to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at Husky Ballpark.
The Huskies (10-6, 2-1 Pac-12) tried to mount a rally and hit three home runs by the fourth inning, but the Wildcats (13-6, 1-2) had 10 extra-base hits of their own – eight doubles and two home runs – to repel any comeback attempts.
Husky starter Spencer Jones had a rough outing and was unable to get out of the first inning. The first seven batters all reached base safely for the Wildcats, six of which reached on Jones. He gave up six of the seven runs in the inning on four hits and two walks. In all, Arizona sent 12 batters to the plate before the Huskies even took their first swings.
Despite the big first inning, the Huskies never backed down and began chipping away at the Wildcats' lead, starting in the first inning.
The Huskies got a run back on a MJ Hubbs' solo home run. The junior from Cave Creek, Ariz., took a 2-1 pitch from Arizona starter Austin Schnabel the opposite way over the right-field wall for his third homer of the year. The blast also extended a streak for Hubbs of reaching base safely in all 16 games this season.
The Huskies made it 7-3 in the second on a two-run homer by the second baseman Baker. The junior crushed a 2-0 pitch from Kevin Ginkel off the light pole beyond the wall in left-center for his third home run of the season.
Baker hit his second homer of the game two innings later, another two run shot. Joey Morgan reached on a two-out double to center and Baker followed by sending Bobby Dalbec's 2-1 pitch into the Arizona bullpen to make the score 7-5. It was the second-straight game that the Huskies had a player hit two home runs in a game as John Naff accomplished the feat in Saturday's 8-4 win.
But, that was the closest the Huskies would get to the Wildcats. Arizona extended its lead back to three runs in the fifth with one run and blew the doors off the game in the seventh when they scored five more runs before the Huskies recorded an out in the inning to make it 13-5.
Arizona's Jared Oliva delivered the big blow for the Wildcats in the seventh, hitting a three-run home run off Alex Nesbitt. It was part of his 3 for 4 day with 5 RBI.
Pitcher Bobby Dalbec (4-1) entered the game for the Wildcats in the second inning and went 6 innings, allowing three runs on four hits to pick up the win. He also went 2 for 5 at the plate with a home run.
Washington cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth inning – one on a RBI ground out by pinch-hitter Duncan Hendrickson and another coming in on a RBI single by Chris Baker. But Arizona scored three more runs in the ninth to cap the scoring.
Catcher Cesar Salazar was 4 for 5 with 3 RBI to lead the Wildcats' 19-hit attack. Every hitter in Arizona's lineup had at least one hit.
Baker (3 for 5, 2 HR, 5 RBI) had three of Washington's seven hits.
Washington returns to action at Husky Ballpark starting on Thursday for a three-game series through Saturday with the Oregon Ducks. All three games are scheduled to be carried by the Pac-12 Networks, with game one on Thursday scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
Arizona 17 (13-6, 1-2), Washington 7 (10-6, 2-1)
ARIZ 700 010 513 –- 17 19 1
WASH 120 200 020 –- 7 8 1
LOB: AZ 6, UW 4. Austin Schnabel, Kevin Ginkel (2), Bobby Dalbec (2), Cameron Ming (8), Michael Flynn (8) and Cesar Salazar; Spencer Jones, Greg Minier (1), Alex Nesbitt (4), Will Ballowe (7), Alex Hardy (8), Lance Berringer (9) and Joey Morgan, Willie MacIver (9). W – Dalbec (4-1). L – Jones (1-2). Sv – none. HR – AZ, Jared Oliva (1), Bobby Dalbec (4); UW, MJ Hubbs (3), Chris Baker 2 (4). 3B – none. 2B – AZ, Ryan Aguilar 2, Alfonso Rivas 2, Cesar Salazar 2, Jared Oliva, Cody Ramer; UW, John Naff. Time – 3:36. Attendance – 602.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dalbec, Bobby (4-1)
L: Jones, Spencer (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Ramer, Cody 1 ; Aguilar, Ryan 2 ; Rivas, Alfonso 2 ; Salazar, Cesar 2 ; Oliva, Jared 1
HR: Dalbec, Bobby 1 ; Oliva, Jared 1
RBI: Aguilar, Ryan 2 ; Dalbec, Bobby 2 ; Matijevic, JJ 2 ; Gibbons, Zach 1 ; Salazar, Cesar 3 ; Boyd, Louis 1 ; Oliva, Jared 5
SH: Boyd, Louis 1 ; Oliva, Jared 1
SF: Aguilar, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ramer, Cody 2 ; Aguilar, Ryan 1 ; Dalbec, Bobby 2 ; Matijevic, JJ 2 ; Rivas, Alfonso 2 ; Gibbons, Zach 2 ; Salazar, Cesar 3 ; Boyd, Louis 1 ; Oliva, Jared 2
Batting:
2B: Naff, John 1 ; Morgan, Joey 1
HR: Hubbs, MJ 1 ; Baker, Chris 2
RBI: Hubbs, MJ 1 ; Hendrickson, Duncan 1 ; Baker, Chris 5
Base Running:
RUNS: Hubbs, MJ 2 ; Naff, John 1 ; Morgan, Joey 2 ; Baker, Chris 2
HBP: Galgano, Alex 1
