UA baseball walks its way to an extra-inning victory

Charles C. LaBenz Arizona Daily Wildcat UA pitcher David Quick threw for eight innings and led the Wildcats to victory over Grand Canyon, 4-3.

Senior pinch-hitter Tim King's bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th was the deciding factor in Arizona's 4-3 victory over Grand Canyon last night at Sancet Field.

"We will take it any way we can get it," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said. "That was as ugly as we played all year. We had many chances to do well and we didn't do well. We'll just take the victory."

The Wildcats almost blew a stellar performance from junior right-hander David Quick, who went 8 1/3 innings, allowing just three runs, two earned, off of three hits. Quick struck out eight while walking just one batter.

"We won, and that's the main focus on our team," Quick said. "I'm not mad (about not getting the win) but it's just disappointing because I know that I could have done it."

After a rocky first inning, where an error by freshman third baseman Mike Meyer allowed a man on base who later scored, Quick found a groove. The only hit he gave up until the ninth was a single by GCU third baseman Bill Koning in the third, but he was th rown out at first after going too far when he rounded the base. From the second until the ninth inning, Quick faced only 23 of a possible minimum of 21 batters.

"My breaking ball really wasn't there early on," Quick said. "Toward the middle to late innings I really concentrated and focused on hitting my spots."

Sophomore left-handed reliever Ryan Moskau (3-2) went 1 2/3 innings in picking up the victory as the No. 25 Wildcats improved to 24-14, while the Antelopes dropped to 8-20.

The Antelopes used a two-run rally in the top of the ninth to send the game into extra frames. Williams started the inning with a double, only the second hit off of Quick. Left fielder Bill Curris followed with a RBI single, scoring Williams. Shortstop Ro nnie Holtorf grounded to UA shortstop Jake Thrower, but a late slide by Curris broke up the potential double play. Quick then hit catcher Jon Hamel with a pitch and was replaced by Moskau.

With runners on first and second, Moskau threw a wild pitch that allowed both runners to advance and then walked outfielder Freddie Jackson to load the bases. Junior second baseman Erik Mattern was unable to convert a hard ground ball by center fielder Be n Menke into a double play, and Holtorf scored the tying run on the fielder's choice.

In the bottom of the tenth, junior first baseman Kenny Corley lead off with a two-strike triple off of left-handed sidearm pitcher Kevin Borg. Borg then intentionally walked junior catcher Tom King and junior right fielder Colin Porter. Enter Tim King, To m's twin brother, pinch-hitting for sophomore designated hitter Rob Shabansky. Borg missed on a 3-1 count and Corley walked in as the winning run.