After being shut out for the first time in 216 games and trying to avoid a series split, Arizona (32-14, 13-8 Pac-12) won a pivotal game four against Nevada taking the contest 8-2 at Hi Corbett Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats got going early scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning that started with a bases loaded single by designated hitter Blake Paugh. Paugh’s RBI single setup Nik McClaughry’s bases-loaded 3-run double that was capped off by McClaughry scoring off a Wolfpack (22-20, 13-8 Mountain West) throwing error.
Arizona pitcher Anthony “Tonko” Susac delivered a strong performance by pitching five innings of one-run ball while only giving up two hits and striking out four Wolfpack hitters.
“He came off of elbow surgery when he came in here,” head coach Chip Hale said of Susac starting to find his groove. “We have always been very careful with him, you know, he pitched in the New Mexico State game. If you think about it, in a week’s period he threw probably about 113-114 pitches so that’s good work for him. So yeah, we’ve babied him a little bit in the fall for sure and then this spring he hasn’t really gotten the chance to sort of show his stuff. If you notice, I believe his velocity is way up from where it was a month ago so yeah, he’s feeling it.”
Susac missed his entire senior season of high school due to elbow surgery he had in December of 2020. This season has been his first action since the 2020 season, so it has been an adjustment year for him.
“It’s a pretty good scar, it’s similar to a TJ [Tommy John] scar,” Susac said, describing his surgery. “It’s UCL surgery. It's called UCL primar repair with an internal brace. So it’s not quite TJ they don’t take a tendon out of your wrist or leg and put it in there. So it’s still the original ligament, it's a little quicker recovery time. I had a partial tear in my UCL in the right spot where I was eligible for the surgery so I said you know what why not this is something, I had a PRP shot and it didn’t work and I said hey let’s do it now and miss my COVID season of high school and just be ready for college.”
Susac got his second win in five days and followed up a strong five inning outing with the one Sunday against Nevada. He seems to be easing into his role with the team and has gone back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. Through his first 24 innings this season he had an ERA of 9.75 but has since dropped it to 7.30 his last 13 innings of work.
Behind Susac’s strong start, the bullpen shut down Nevada over the final four frames with George Arias Jr., Christian Holden, Quinn Flanagan and Javyn Pimental combined to throw four innings of one-run ball while allowing one hit.
After having a five-run second inning, the Wildcats offense did not stop there and put up a three-run sixth inning thanks to a two-run homer hit by team home run leader and outfielder Chase Davis. Davis went 3-for-5 in the game with a home run and a double.
Davis for the season now is hitting .295 thanks to the last five games where he is hitting .545 while driving in five runs during that stretch.
“Just trying to be the best I can in every at-bat,” Davis said about his hitting approach. “I mean really, I know it sounds cliche but just hit it hard and just get a pitch I can drive and hit early in the count. That’s something I really changed. Be aggressive and hit early in the count and get a good pitch I can drive, and it’s been working out pretty well just staying aggressive and just staying ready to go and never passive…”
Following the game, Hale provided an update on the injuries of pitchers Chris Barraza and Dawson Netz.
“Barraza is feeling better I don’t think he’s, I don’t know if he’ll be available to pitch Tuesday but it’s getting there,” Hale said. “Netz is just, it’s more of a long road where like we said structurally he’s fine but he’s kind of just started the whole throwing process over again so he hasn’t been on the mound so I wouldn’t I mean I’ll keep you updated but I can’t see him probably pitching in a game until probably Oregon State or Oregon.”
Arizona secured the series victory 3-1 winning the first two games 6-5 and 7-6 respectively before dropping Saturday’s game 2-0.
The Wildcats now will shift their focus to playing Grand Canyon in a mid-week showdown at home before going to Los Angeles next weekend for a three-game series against USC (21-20, 6-15), who is currently at the bottom of the Pac-12. Arizona is two games behind Oregon State with nine conference games left.
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