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Bipolar Wildcats split 2 against Cougars

UA recovers from Friday loss with 21-3 win

Just as the season looked hopeless for the UA baseball team, sophomore left fielder Kenny Huff did the near-impossible.

The Wildcats, losers of four of their last five games and sitting near the bottom of the Pacific 10 Conference, were one game away from being swept by lowly Washington State, when Huff hit for the cycle and lifted Arizona to an easy victory.

The Wildcats, who lost a 9-6 decision at the hands of the Cougars on Friday night, rebounded to pound WSU on Saturday, 21-3.

Huff became the first Arizona player in five seasons to hit for the cycle. In hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in a single game, the left fielder becomes just the ninth player in program history to register such an accomplishment.

Despite Huff's accomplishments, the weekend split was a disappointment to the Wildcats - a team that boasts Baseball America's top collegiate player, sophomore Ben Diggins, the team's ace pitcher and designated hitter.

Friday night, senior Rob Shabansky allowed 6 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings as Arizona dropped its second straight game to the Cougars. The senior was plagued by a four-run first inning by the Cougars, as the team that capitalized on the shortcomings of UA's defense in the early stages of the game.

"Shabansky did all right," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said following the game. "I guess that's the way it goes. He allowed runs in the first and we didn't come back."

Shabansky, who struck out seven men in the effort, started in place of senior lefty Tony Milo - who was used Thursday night - trailed through the entire game, though the Wildcats fought back with a three-run, ninth-inning rally.

However, the Cougars and senior left hander Matt O'Brien proved to be too much for the maligned Wildcats (22-25 overall, 7-11 Pac-10). Despite allowing 12 hits, O'Brien walked just one man en route to his second complete game of the season.

Following the game, junior shortstop Keoni DeRenne said he was proud of the team's near-comeback in the ninth.

"It's all just a flash of what we're capable of," he said. "I wish we could have played a few more innings, we would have caught them."

Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats appeared to keep the momentum from the previous night's ninth-inning rally, as UA pounded WSU, 21-3. Huff, who hit for the cycle in the game, thought the beating was a long time coming.

The Wildcats recorded a season-high 28 hits in the victory, as Washington State used seven pitchers in the outing.

Senior Reggie Rivard took the loss for WSU, allowing four runs while failing to record an out. Huff, Diggins, and junior third baseman Erik Torres all had home runs for the Wildcats.

Milo (4-6) allowed just two earned runs in the effort.

Slated to start Friday night's game, the senior was given an extra day to rest his arm.

DeRenne, who injured his hamstring while making a throwing error Thursday night, failed to play in Friday and Saturday's games, snapping a 151-games played streak.

"I wanted to cry," he said. "It's not the way I wanted the streak to end, but I guess it's better than being suspended for disciplinary or academic reasons."

DeRenne was scratched from Friday's lineup after showing pain while taking batting practice.

"I could barely take (batting practice)," he said. "I figure that if I can't play, I'm going to do everything I can to help the team. If it means cheering from the bench and helping people out, that's fine."

For DeRenne and the Wildcats, Sunday's game helped to ease the pain of an average season.

"The last thing we want to do is get swept by anyone," he said.