Without their host, the Eugene Regional chugged along with Game 4 as the Arizona Wildcats (40-18, 18-12 Big 12) took on the Utah Valley Wolverines (33-27, 13-11 WAC) with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday.
In the top of the fourth, Arizona junior center fielder Mason White hammered a green light 3-1 pitch deep to center field. While a huge postseason home run, this blast would be rather irrelevant until it’s realized this was White’s third of the game, as he became the ninth Arizona player in history to hit for three homers in a game. This made it 7-2 Wildcats and chipped in to the cakewalk 14-4 win.
“It's really cool,” White said. “We saw the wind when we got here, during BP, and then nothing changed during the game. We just hit like we know how to hit. You see it at Hi Corbett Field, it really doesn't help out with the wind blowing in, and it's a really big field, but when we get in a park like this, I think it really shows.”
Leading the potent Arizona offense was White, who was 4-for-5 with a double, three homers and four RBIs.
Arizona was coming off a pitcher duel 3-2 victory the day before against the Cal Poly Mustangs. In that game, the Wildcats only picked up two hits compared to 10 Mustang hits, but the knocks were major, with one being a triple and the other being a two-run homer.
Utah Valley rode into this one fresh off a controversial upset win the day before against the No. 5 Oregon Ducks. Conversations chirped all night about the wiped away run, ejection and suspension from Ducks junior left fielder Anson Aroz that ultimately propelled the Wolverines to victory as they edged Oregon 6-5.
Getting the start for the Wildcats was senior right-handed starter Raul Garayzar.
On the Utah Valley side, junior right-handed starter Colton Kennedy got the nod to take the bump.
Both teams would make quick work of getting their scoring started in this game. To lead off, Arizona junior right fielder Brendan Summerhill doubled down the left field line and came around to score after White bombed one to right field.
In the Wolverine half of the first, they would get runners on first and second before junior catcher Mason Strong singled to score the runner from second. Sophomore third baseman Dominic Longo II kept the train moving by singling himself to score another runner from second, and it was tied at two after one inning.
Runners would be put right back on, this time in the corners for the Wildcats at the top of the second. It appeared Utah Valley would be able to snag the second out of the inning, but the center fielder dropped the fly ball, allowing sophomore left fielder Easton Breyfogle to scamper home.
White made noise again at the top of the third when he nuked a solo shot to dead center to make it 4-2 Arizona.
The home run party would continue in the top of the fourth when senior first baseman Tommy Splaine hammered one to center field. Summerfield would get involved again with a solo blast of his own. This would end Kennedy’s day, as senior right-handed reliever Carter Krosky took over.
Kennedy’s final line: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks and 75 TP
The third mash of the inning came from White later on to make it three in the frame.
The Wolverines weren’t going to go down easily, though, as they immediately loaded the bases with nobody out. This prompted a pitching change for the Wildcats as junior right-handed reliever Casey Hintz took the hill for Garayzar.
Garayzer’s final line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks and 65 TP
Utah Valley grabbed two runs off this opportunity, both coming off fielder’s choices with senior first baseman CJ Colyer coming in on the first one and junior shortstop DJ Massey coming in on the second. After four innings, it was 7-4 Arizona.
The Wolverines would send out a new pitcher in the top of the fifth as junior right-handed reliever Ray Hernandez came in for Krosky.
Krosky’s final line: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 Ks and 16 TP
The seventh would be the putaway inning for Arizona. A walk and a single made Utah Valley initiate another pitching change as sophomore right-handed pitcher Garrett Miller checked in for Hernandez.
Hernandez’s final line: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks and 46 TP
Miller would get lit up. A single from Breyfogle scored one run from second, and a fielder's choice in the next at-bat allowed Splaine to score from third. Junior center fielder Aaron Walton then cleared the bases with a blistered two-run homer, and another two-run tater would fly after White doubled and junior catcher Adonys Guzman sent one out. Utah Valley had seen enough and pulled Miller for sophomore left-handed reliever Luke Kimmel.
Miller’s final line: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 Ks and 14 TP
When the dust settled, it was 13-4 Wildcats.
Arizona made their final pitching change of the match in the bottom of the seventh when junior right-handed reliever Michael Hilker Jr. took the ball from Hintz.
Hintz’s final line: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks and 33 TP
Insurance came for the Wildcats in the top of the eighth when senior second baseman Garen Caulfield launched one over the right field wall to make it a double-digit lead at 14-4.
To eat the last inning for the Wolverines was senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Beltran. He would give up a double to White, who was then pinch run for by junior pinch runner Mathis Meurant, who would slide to shortstop in the bottom of the ninth.
Beltran’s final line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K and 30 TP
The bottom of the ninth featured a flurry of substitutions to get young players postseason time during the blowout. Sophomore right fielder TJ Adams took over in right for Summerhill on the Wildcat side. On the Wolverine side, junior pinch hitter Joseph Barnhardt grabbed a bat for Longo II, freshman pinch hitter Derek Houston hit for senior third baseman Nate Bach and freshman pinch hitter Landon Zaborowski hit for junior designated hitter Brody Block.
Nothing came across, and Arizona moved to the Eugene Regional championship game with a 14-4 beatdown.
Hilker Jr.’s final line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 Ks and 37 TP
“Obviously, the bats came out today, little more than yesterday,” Arizona head coach Chip Hale said. “Some really good at-bats. And I thought, you know, the key to the game was obviously scoring the runs, but Casey (Hintz) came in and quieted everything down. I think they did a really good job against Raul (Garayzar). He wasn't as pinpoint as he usually is.”
Also chipping in to the Wildcat bats was Splaine, who was 4-for-5 with a homer and an RBI.
Arizona will play the winner of the Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Utah Valley Wolverines matchup, which will take place at 3:00 p.m. Sunday.
“Yeah, obviously not the game we wanted coming off of last night, but thought we competed all the way through, thought we fought,” Utah Valley head coach Nate Rasmussen said. “I mean, this is one of those nights where they got us on all facets of the game, and we need to do a better job, and we need to have a short memory going into tomorrow. So, I don’t have much besides that. We just need to be ready to rock going into tomorrow.”