By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
2 Wildcats ejected in weekend rivalry game
Freshman center fielder Brian Anderson has become an integral part of the UA pitching staff and outfield in recent weeks.
This weekend, Arizona head coach Jerry Stitt opted to use the freshman as the team's closer. In fact, Stitt used Anderson twice with the game on the line in the ninth inning - both times, Anderson battled and showed promise.
Anderson came in Saturday's game in the ninth inning and faced a bases- loaded, no-out jam only to retire three Sun Devils in order, preserving the Wildcats' 3-1 win.
"There's nothing like going out there with no outs and the bases loaded," Anderson said. "Our defense did an awesome job, and we did what we had to do to win."
Stitt once again looked to Anderson in the ninth inning of Sunday's game.
The freshman came in with two on and no outs with Arizona clinging to a 5-3 lead. Anderson could not hold the lead, but kept the game tied 5-5 at the end of nine innings.
The Wildcat defense didn't show much support for the new closer - an error by Clayton Bried, Anderson's replacement in center field, led to the Sun Devils' 6-5 victory in the bottom of the 11th inning.
"They outplayed us and they deserved to win," Anderson said. "I think I pitched well, but they just made more plays then we did."
UA first base coach Victor Solis said Anderson and others in the young Wildcat bullpen have shown that they are go-to pitchers.
"We will use Brian in situations as they arise," Solis said. "Brian is an option, but we have many pitchers that we can look to as well."
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In Sunday's loss to ASU, two Wildcat seniors - third baseman Erik Torres and first baseman Ernie Durazo - both lost their cool and were ejected for arguing questionable late-game calls.
With Sunday's game culminating the UA-ASU rivalry for both seniors, their emotions got the best of them during the close game.
During the top of the 11th, Torres ended the inning by striking out looking. As he walked to the dugout, he muttered a few words to the umpire, who promptly ejected him.
In the following inning, Durazo was ejected after exchanging words with ASU center fielder Chris Duffy. He, too, was ejected.
Durazo came to the defense of Anderson as Duffy began to yell in Anderson's direction.
Solis said the UA coaching staff isn't worried about future outbursts from both players. Durazo and Torres are regarded as on-field leaders for UA.
"Both are seniors, and they got caught up in the heated rivalry," Solis said. "Both players have a history of having a positive attitude on the field. I think what happened was just part of the heated rivalry between each school."
After both were ejected, UA began to lose focus and its defense collapsed, leading to the 6-5 defeat.
"It was a tough loss," Stitt said. "It's always tough losing in extra innings."
