White Leads Arizona with 3 HRs in Record 14-4 Victory

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    EUGENE, Ore. — In a spectacular display of power-hitting, Mason White smashed three of Arizona’s historic total of eight home runs as the Wildcats, seeded second, defeated Utah Valley 14-4 in the Eugene Regional on Saturday night. Arizona, with a 41-18 record, stands one step away from securing a spot in the super regionals. They are set to play on Sunday against the victor of an elimination match between Utah Valley, fresh from a 6-5 victory over host and No. 12 national seed Oregon on Friday, and No. 3 seed Cal Poly, who eliminated the Ducks earlier on Saturday with a 10-8 triumph.

    The Wolverines and the Mustangs both face a tough path though, having to best Arizona twice in order to claim victory in this double-elimination regional competition. Joining White in the powerful display at bat, Tommy Splaine, Brendan Summerhill, Garen Caulfield, Aaron Walton, and Adonys Guzman each contributed with a home run for the Wildcats. On the pitching side, Casey Hintz showcased his prowess by delivering three no-hit innings in relief, while Michael Hilker Jr. clinched his first save of the season by limiting the opposition to just one hit along with seven strikeouts over three scoreless innings.

    Starter Raul Garayzar, however, exited the game after three innings, having conceded four runs, three of which were earned. The Wildcats set the tone early as Mason White launched a two-run homer off Utah Valley’s starter Colton Kennedy in the first inning, putting Arizona in the lead which they maintained. For Utah Valley, Mason Strong and Dominic Longo II both contributed RBI singles in the first inning, while CJ Colyer and DJ Massey drove in runs with groundouts in the fourth inning, bringing their season record to 33-28.