KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior catcher Richard Mercado dives back to first base on a pick-off attempt during the Wildcats' 9-8 win Saturday over UC Riverside at Sancet Stadium.

Walk-off solo homer kicks off 2004 season in style for Wildcats

The Wildcat baseball team used a six-run third inning and held off a late surge by UC Riverside to beat the Highlanders 10-7 yesterday at Sancet Stadium.

Arizona's (3-0, 0-0) win capped a three-game sweep over Riverside this weekend to open the 2004 season.

"It's only going to get better," said sophomore outfielder Derek Decater of the Wildcats' start. "It's a long season. We'll take these three (wins), but it's not the best first three we could have had."

Arizona trailed Riverside (1-7, 0-0) yesterday 1-0 in the second inning when junior first baseman Pat Reilly hit a two-run home run to give Arizona a 2-1 lead.

In the third, the Wildcats sent 10 players to the plate and scored six runs on seven hits, highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of freshman designated hitter Bill Rhinehart.

"When you pitch with a lead, it's so much easier," sophomore pitcher Luis Cortez said. "Offense helps you out on defense."

Junior outfielder Jeff Van Houten started the inning with his first hit of the season, followed by two more singles by Decater and senior second baseman Moises Duran.

Rhinehart's homer plated Duran and Decater, and another pair of Wildcat singles followed.

Leading 8-1, the Wildcats gave up two runs each in the sixth, seventh and ninth, but scored two of their own in the eighth to hold on.

Cortez pitched five solid innings, giving up three runs while striking out four to earn the win.

Cortez, a redshirt transfer from Texas, made his first collegiate start yesterday.

"I felt good coming out," Cortez said. "I've been excited (to get out there). I threw three straight balls to the first hitter but settled down."

Yesterday's win was the only game of the weekend that didn't require a late-inning comeback by the Wildcats.

Arizona came back from a three-run deficit in the seventh inning to beat the Highlanders 9-8 Saturday.

With two outs in the seventh, the Wildcats got three straight hits and scored four runs to grab the lead.

Decater tripled home Duran and Van Houten to start the scoring, and sophomore first baseman Jordan Brown and Reilly hit home runs to end the Wildcats' scoring.

On Friday, Duran set the tone for the weekend when he hit an 11th-inning, walk-off home run to give Arizona a 6-5 win.

With the score tied at five and two outs, Duran hit a solo home run over the right field fence, giving the Wildcats their ninth opening-day victory in the last 10 years.

Arizona pushed the game into extra innings after trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth.

Reilly came in as a pinch-hitter and blooped a double down the right-field line. Donald scored on the throw to second to tie the game.

"We're happy to be 3-0, but we have to, we must, and we can play better," Lopez said.