NCAA Baseball Regionals : Wildcats’ 13-Run 6th Ties Mark in 26-5 Rout of Aztecs

The University of Arizona pounded four San Diego State pitchers for 13 runs and 12 hits in the sixth inning Thursday en route to a 26-5 victory in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional Tournament on Disch-Falk Field.

The 13 runs by the Wildcats tied the NCAA tournament record set by Utah in 1960 for most in an inning. Arizona’s total of 26 runs was four short of the single-game tournament mark set by Arizona State against Nevada Las Vegas in 1978.

The 26 runs allowed by San Diego State were 12 more than the Aztecs had allowed in any other game this season. UCLA beat the Aztecs, 14-13, on April 1.

In all, SDSU Coach Jim Dietz used six pitchers, with none going longer than the 3 innings by starter and loser Scott Lawrence (8-3).

But the Aztecs’ pitching couldn’t take all the blame for the loss. San Diego State fielders committed six errors that led to 11 unearned runs.

The loss puts San Diego State (42-22-1) into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament. The Aztecs will face Pan American--a 11-0 loser to Pepperdine Thursday--at 10 a.m. today. Arizona (42-18) faces Texas, which defeated Southern Illinois Thursday night, 21-7.

The Aztecs had a 2-0 lead after two innings before errors and Arizona’s offense combined to produce a torrent of Wildcat runs.

In the third inning, the Wildcats scored five runs off Lawrence--four of them unearned--to take a 5-2 lead.

The teams each scored a run in the fourth before Arizona scored four more in the fifth on four singles, two walks and an error to take an 10-3 lead.

Then came the sixth.

Arizona sent 18 batters to the plate, and they produced seven singles, three doubles and two home runs. The Wildcats were helped by two more Aztec errors and a couple of walks.

It was an especially frustrating inning for San Diego State reliever David Riddle. The freshman right-hander faced five batters and failed to get anyone out. He gave up four hits and four runs.

“What can you say?” Dietz asked after the game. “Everybody saw what happened out there, so there’s nothing to talk about. . .”

Jerry Kindall, Arizona coach, credited good fortune for the 13-run inning.

“Things just went our way,” he said. “Everything we hit fell in and they made a few errors. We’re under no illusions--we got some good breaks.”

Rob Angus, Aztec center fielder, couldn’t explain his team’s worst defeat of the season, but he was sure of one thing.

“They’re not 21 runs better than we are,” he said.

Angus and Tom LeVasseur combined for seven hits to lead the Aztecs.

Wildcat right-hander Gilbert Heredia (14-3) scattered nine hits over seven innings to earn the win.

In another Central Regional game:

Pepperdine 11, Pan American 0--The No. 5-seeded Waves scored eight runs in the first four innings and routed No. 2-seeded Pan American. The Waves (36-19-2) will play Southern Illinois game in a second-round game today at 2:30.

Tim Lewis (10-3) gave up five hits in pitching his seventh complete game and second shutout of the season.

Pepperdine scored single runs in the first three innings off Bronco starter Tim Stratinsky (8-5), and added five with two out in the fourth. NCAA WEST

Hawaii 6, UCLA 3--Robert Muhammed scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning to snap a 3-3 tie as Hawaii went on to defeat the No. 3-seeded Bruins in a first-round game at UCLA.

With two out in the ninth, UCLA’s Alex Sanchez (16-3) walked Muhammed and Todd Crosby and both advanced on a double steal. Sanchez then threw his fourth wild pitch while walking Larry Gonzales, allowing Muhammed to score.

Markus Owens then singled to left off reliever Bill Wendrick to score Crosby and Gonzales.

John Joslyn, Bobby Holley and Scott Cline each hit bases-empty homers for UCLA (39-22).

UC Santa Barbara 11, Loyola Marymount 5 (10 innings)--The No. 8-ranked Gauchos scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the No. 7-ranked Lions in a first-round game.

Erik Johnson and Greg Vella keyed the rally with back-to-back home runs off losing pitcher Eric Reinholtz. Quinn Mack capped the inning with a two-run homer off Kalani Bush, the third Loyola pitcher of the inning.