Arizona sweeps Oregon State

Eric M. Jukelevics Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore first baseman Ernie Durazo slides into home during Saturday's game against Oregon State. The Wildcats swept Oregon State this weekend and will face Grand Canyon in Phoenix tomorrow.

It wasn't the prettiest of baseball games, but in the end the only thing that mattered was whose side of the scoreboard was brighter.

"Anytime you win, no matter how ugly, you have to be pleased," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said. "We knew we had to sweep these guys to get back in it. Now we are back in it and our next series is very important."

Arizona (25-16 overall) is now 7-8 in the Pacific 10 Conference, putting UA back in the thick of the race for the conference crown.

The Wildcats also defeated the Beavers Friday night 11-9 and Saturday afternoon 10-7.

Yesterday afternoon they trailed 3-0 after five innings as OSU freshman third baseman Josh Carter hit a solo home run in the fourth and junior first baseman Joe Gerber drove in two runs in the Beavers' four-hit fifth inning.

The Wildcats didn't manage a hit in the sixth inning, but somehow tied the game 3-3 as OSU junior starting pitcher Mark Newell walked four and hit two batters before finally getting out of the inning by striking out UA junior center fielder Troy Gingrich.

"They definitely helped us win this ballgame, but we also didn't have any errors today," UA junior catcher Dennis Anderson said. "When you play good defense, you will stay in the game and have a chance to win it."

The Wildcats scored three more in the seventh when freshman left fielder Kenny Huff hit a deep fly ball to right with the bases loaded that OSU freshman right fielder K.C. Rumrey dropped at the warning track, clearing the bases and providing the game-winning run in sophomore third baseman Erik Torres.

UA sophomore shortstop Keoni DeRenne, who also scored on the error by Rumrey, was 10 for 15 this series with five RBI. The Beavers even intentionally walked him twice to get to freshman right fielder Shelley Duncan, who has the most home runs on the team with 15.

"I was disappointed when they walked me because I wanted the opportunity to get another hit, but hats off to them because I guess they have respect for me," DeRenne said. "It is kind of a joke for Shelley and me because they walk me to get to him and I know that he wants to drive the ball."

With the score at 10-4 heading into the top of the ninth, the Wildcats looked to have the game intact, but after junior pitcher David Capek walked OSU sophomore pinch hitter Curtis Davis, and then gave up a double to Carter scoring Davis, the lead was in jeopardy with no outs.

He then walked junior Drew Hedges before being taken out and replaced by freshman Brian Pemble, who pitched an inning and two-thirds the day before.

Pemble came in firing, striking out senior Troy Shader looking and sophomore Eric Stark swinging. He then walked junior pinch hitter Garrett Bates but got senior Corrie Willkie to pop out to Anderson to end the game and the series.

"They haven't seen Brian too much and he has some pretty good stuff," Anderson said. "But again, it is just not easy to hit even if the guy throws it right over the plate. Hitting is very hard."

In the earlier games the Wildcats were lead by DeRenne and Durazo, who hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Saturday's game to get the Wildcats moving in the right direction.

"Ernie had a great series," Stitt said. "He has been patient at the plate and is seeing a lot of pitches."

Oregon State did manage to get 39 hits over the course of the three games, but flew back to Corvallis wondering what could have been.

"It is like a second season for us," DeRenne said of the Wildcats' five-game winning streak. "Our momentum has been carrying us. We didn't play the best, but we finally found our game again. We are battling and gaining confidence."

The Wildcats now hit the road for a four-game road trip that begins tomorrow night in Phoenix against Grand Canyon, a team they beat last Tuesday 13-1.

Dan Rosen can be reached at Dan.Rosen@wildcat.arizona.edu.

Box Score Oregon St. Beavers 5 (12-24, 1-8 Pac-10) AB R H RBI K.C. Rumrey, rf 4 1 2 0 Garrett Bates, ph 1 0 0 0 Corrie Willkie, 2b 4 2 1 0 Joe Gerber, 1b 4 0 2 2 Brina Duerr, ph/3b 1 0 0 0 Tim Dryden, dh 3 0 0 0 Curtis Davis ph/dh 1 1 1 1 Josh Carter, 3b/1b 5 1 3 1 Drew Hedges, lf 3 0 1 0 Troy Shader, ss 4 0 0 0 Jeff Sakamoto, c 3 0 2 1 Rod Gott, ph 1 0 0 0 Eric Stark, cf 4 0 2 0 Mark Newell, p 0 0 0 0 Travis Rainwater, p 0 0 0 0 Jed Mitchell, p 0 0 0 0 Totals 38 5 14 5 Arizona Wildcats 10 (25-16, 7-8 Pac-10) AB R H RBI Troy Gingrich, cf 3 1 2 0 Andy Juday, 2b 5 1 0 0 Keoni DeRenne, ss 4 2 1 0 Shelley Duncan, rf 3 2 1 0 Ernie Durzao, 1b 4 2 2 2 Erik Torres, 3b 4 1 0 0 Kenny Huff, lf 1 1 0 0 Rafell Jones, ph/lf 1 0 1 0 Ben Diggins, dh 3 0 0 1 Dennis Anderson, c 3 0 1 1 Michael Crawford, p 0 0 0 0 Tony Milo, p 0 0 0 0 Wesley Zlotoff,p 0 0 0 0 David Capek, p 0 0 0 0 Brian Pemble, p 0 0 0 0 Totals 31 10 8 4 Score by Innings R H E Oregon State Beavers 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 5 14 3 Arizona Wildcats 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 4 x 10 8 0 E - Rumrey, Sakamoto, Rainwater DP - Beavers 1. LOB - Beaver 14, Wildcats 10 2B - Gerber, Carter SB - Willkie (3), Carter (1), Sakamoto (1), Stark (4), Durazo (4). CS - Stark, Gingrich SH - Sakamoto, Gingrich Oregon St. Beavers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Mark Newell 6.2 6 6 3 6 5 24 34 Travis Rainwater 1.0 1 4 4 3 2 5 8 Jed Mitchell 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 Arizona Wildcats IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Michael Crawford 6.1 10 4 4 3 4 26 30 Tony Milo 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 Wesley Zlotoff 1.1 2 0 0 1 1 6 7 David Capek 0.1 1 1 1 2 1 2 4 Brian Pemble 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 Win - Zlotoff (2-2). Loss - Newell (3-4). Save - None WP - Newell, Rainwater. BK - Newell HBP - by Newell (Kenny Huff), by Newell (Kenny Huff), by Newell (Anderson) Umpires - Home: Dwayne Finley. 1st: Darrel Mason. 3rd: Ruben Candelaria Start: 11:59 Time: 3:09 Attendance: 647 Milo faced one batter in the 7th. Capek faced three batters in the 9th.