May 11, 2008
TUCSON, Arizona - No. 19 Arizona scored in each of the first five innings and topped Utah Valley 11-4 on a hot and sunny Mother's Day in the Arizona Desert. The loss dropped the Wolverines to 14-34-1 while the Wildcats moved to 34-15 and earned a sweep of the three-game series.
Scott Croshaw had two hits, including an RBI triple in a two-run fourth inning for Utah Valley.
Arizona used three walks and two, two-out singles to score three runs in the first. T.J. Steele singled home the first two runs for the home team and was followed with a single by Dillon Baird.
The Wildcats added three more in the second and one each in the third for a 7-0 lead before Utah Valley had even registered a hit.
Jace Brinkerhoff got the first hit for the Wolverines in the fourth with a single to right with one out and then scored on Croshaw's triple before Kai Hatch hit a sac-fly to center that scored Croshaw for the second run.
Jon Gaston got a run back for the Wildcats with a solo home run, his third of the series and 12th of the year, in the fourth. UA stretched the lead to 11-2 until the ninth when Tyler Garretson and Hatch had back-to-back singles off of Arizona closer Jason Stoffel. Adam Openshaw then scored Garretson with a double to left-center before Matthew Ratliff hit a sacrifice fly to center that plated Hatch.
Eric Berger (6-3) got the win after giving up two runs on two hits in five innings while Bryan Smith (2-5) took the loss.
The Wolverines will have a quick turnaround with a two-game series at two-time defending champion Oregon State beginning Monday at 8 p.m. MT. Marcus Moore is the scheduled starter for Utah Valley.
