Arizona baseball shuts out BYU behind gem from Luc Fladda on short rest

TL;DR

Arizona baseball defeated BYU 6-0, with Luc Fladda shining on short rest. Fladda struck out a career-high 11 batters in a dominant performance.

Key points

Arizona baseball won 6-0 against BYU
Luc Fladda struck out 11 batters
Fladda pitched 6.2 innings with no walks
The game opened a critical Big 12 series
Fladda redeemed himself after a previous outing

Arizona WildcatsBYU CougarsLuc Fladda

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For two innings on Sunday, Luc Fladda looked great. He retired all six batters he faced, striking out three, and looked in line for a solid outing.

Then came the top of the 3rd, when a loss in command combined with the hot, windy conditions at Hi Corbett Field led to him giving up four runs. That would be it for him in that game, but it also set the stage for a chance at redemption a few days later.

On short rest, Fladda had arguably his best outing of the season in Arizona’s 6-0 win over BYU on Thursday night to open a critical Big 12 series. The senior left-hander struck out a career-high 11 batters over 6.2 innings, scattering six hits and walking none for the sixth time in 10 starts.

“My changeup was really working for me,” said Fladda, who improved to 3-1. “They couldn’t see it, couldn’t hit it, so it was perfect.”

With the series against BYU starting a day earlier than normal, UA coach Chip Hale and pitching coach Sean Kenny decided to adjust the starting rotation to keep right-handers Owen Kramkowski and Smith Bailey on their regular rest for Friday and Saturday, respectively. Hale said he was hoping for maybe five innings from Fladda, who had thrown 53 pitches on Sunday, but he ended up getting to 101 before coming out with two outs in the 7th.

“I think he got better and better as he went on,” Hale said. “They were kind of on him early, and he made some adjustments.”

Fladda said he was used to pitching twice in a week from his time at Tulane, when he would occasionally start on a Tuesday and come on in relief over the weekend. Since he knew when he exited Sunday’s start that this was the plan he had a head start on getting prepared for Thursday.

Ranked third in Division I in walks allowed per nine innings (0.9) entering the game, Fladda lowered that number and has issued just five free passes in 56.2 IP. The 11 strikeouts were two better than his previous best and the product of his approach to make hitters “play offensive defensively” by throwing strikes.

Q&A

What was Luc Fladda's performance against BYU?

Luc Fladda struck out a career-high 11 batters over 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and no walks.

How did Arizona baseball perform in the game against BYU?

Arizona baseball won the game 6-0, marking a strong start to their Big 12 series.

What challenges did Luc Fladda face in his previous outing?

In his previous outing, Fladda struggled with command and gave up four runs in the third inning before redeeming himself against BYU.

What significance does this win have for Arizona baseball?

This win is critical for Arizona as it opens their Big 12 series and boosts their momentum in the conference.