Milo has impressive debut in blowout win over S. Utah

Robert Henry Arizona Daily Wildcat UA left-hander Tony Milo pitches to a Southern Utah batter yesterday at Sancet Field. Milo pitched a complete game, helping Arizona to a 20-6 win over the Thunderbirds.

Freshman left-hander Tony Milo, making his first collegiate start, pitched a complete game, allowing six runs - only two of which were earned - and six hits as the Wildcats pounded Southern Utah 20-6 yesterday at Sancet Field.

Arizona (10-8) hit five Thunderbird pitchers for 18 hits, while Southern Utah (2-7) did little to help themselves, committing eight errors, while getting shut down by Milo, who struck out 12 batters and walked only four. Thunderbird starter Kyle Kimoto (0 -1) took the loss for Southern Utah.

"I got in a groove in the third inning and never lost it," Milo said. "My slider and my fastball, I had pretty good control over (them)."

Milo, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the New York Mets last year, admitted that there was a lot of anticipation for him after finding out that he would get the start, and that he was a little tight when he first took the mound.

"He had a little case of nerves because of the first start," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said. "Tony really settled down and pitched well. He had as good of stuff as he did in the ninth as he did in the fourth."

In the middle of the sixth, with the score 9-5, Stitt pulled the team together for a meeting before the Wildcats went to bat.

"I think they were back on their heels a little bit, counting on Tony to just mow them down," Stitt said. "You can't sit back and leave it all to Tony."

Arizona batters responded well to the talk, scoring 12 runs in the final three innings of the game. In the seventh, the Wildcats sent 12 batters to the plate, and added eight runs to their lead.

The first four batters in the Wildcat line-up provided most of the offensive spark.

Batting in the lead-off position, junior centerfielder Diego Rico collected three hits, three runs and two RBI. Rico was a home run shy of the cycle, after smacking a single, double and triple. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Junior second baseman Erik Mattern, hitting in the second spot, went 4-for-5 with four runs, four runs batted in, and three doubles.

Arizona shortstop, junior Jake Thrower, also had four hits, going 4-for-6 including a triple, three RBI and two runs scored.

Junior first baseman Kenny Corley, hitting clean-up, hit a pair of two run home runs, one in the first and one during Arizona's big seventh inning.

Corley finished going 2-for-3 with four RBI and scoring three runs. Corley leads the team with six home runs and 20 RBI.

Keeping up with the rest of the junior hitters, rightfielder Colin Porter extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the third.

Arizona will send junior right-hander Daniel Tyrrell to the mound today to face Southern Utah in the last game of the short two-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 at Sancet Field.