TUCSON, AZ - The University of Arizona's Jason Donald drove home Brad Boyer in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Wildcats rallied from a two-run deficit to defeat the La Salle Univeristy Baseball team, 3-2, at Kindall Field on Sunday.

Tied at 2-2, Donald delivered the game-winning hit with his second run-scoring double of the contest, a two-out liner down the left field line off of La Salle closer Gerard Breslin. The hit allowed Boyer, who reached on a one-out single and stole second, to score and hand the Wildcats their first lead of the game.

The Explorers (0-3) threatened to pull even in the ninth inning, but Wildcat pitcher Mark Melancon stranded the tying runner John Vincent at second base. He recorded the last two outs with Ks to close the door and seal the victory.

 

Melancon (2-1) picked up the win after coming in for starter Brad Mills in the sixth inning. The Wildcat closer struck out seven, walked none and gave up just one hit over the final 3.2 innings of the contest.

 

La Salle's Breslin (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up Donald's hit in the eighth. Starter Dan Waters pitched well in a no-decision effort, limiting the Wildcats to two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked one.

 

The Explorers jumped out to its only lead in the series with a pair of runs off of Mills in the first inning. Vincent, who finished 3-for-4 on Sunday, drove in Rich Prall with a RBI triple and later scored on John Rickards' single in the first inning.

 

Arizona (8-4) rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles off of Waters by Donald and sophomore Eric Berger.

 

The Explorers return to the road starting next weekend with a trip around North Carolina. They have a three-game series (Friday-Sunday) with UNC-Wilmington, then face Campbell in a doubleheader, Monday, and are at Duke for two games with the Blue Devils, Tuesday and Wednesday.