The Arizona Wildcats needed 12 innings to pull out a victory over the Florida St. Seminoles, but they somehow managed to pull out a 4-3 victory in front of more than 22,000 spectators in Omaha. The 'Cats will now face Pac-12 rival UCLA on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. ET. FSU will take on Stony Brook in the earlier game that day.
Arizona ace Kurt Heyer pitched very well against a red-hot FSU lineup, working 7.2 innings of three-run ball. Only one of the runs that scored were earned. He allowed just six hits and three walks, striking out three in the process.
UA took an early 2-1 lead in the third inning and added on a run in the fifth, but the Seminoles rallied with two outs to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth. That score held through numerous scoring opportunities for both sides until the 12th inning rolled around.
Joey Rickard sent a one-out double into the gap to get into scoring position, and then All-Conference selection Johnny Field drove him home with a line drive double of his own. UA would head to the bottom half of the inning with a 4-3 lead.
Matt Troupe came in for the save. He retired the first batter, but then hit the next with a pitch. After a wild pitch and a groundout moved the runner to third with two outs, Devon Travis made his way to the plate. Troupe took the count to 3-2, and eventually struck Travis out on a low fastball.
It was a huge win for UA, and a true team effort on their part.
For more on the Wildcats be sure to check out AZ Desert Swarm. Follow the SB Nation Arizona StoryStream for continued baseball updates throughout the weekend.
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