Arizona Puts A Wrap On Pac-12 Sports With Walk-Off Win In Baseball Title Game

Every now and again, you’ll see a sporting event take place that you just know will be the answer to a trivia question for years to come. Last night, the Pac-12 baseball title game gave us one of those moments.

The matchup between the Arizona Wildcats and the USC Trojans wasn’t just your yearly game to see who would win conference glory. This was the final Pac-12 baseball tournament in history, and it would serve as the last Pac-12 athletic event ever.

No more football games, track meets, or volleyball matchups. On the grounds of Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz., these two programs would author the final event in the history of this iconic conference - after dark, of course.

And what an ending it was.

The two teams were deadlocked at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, and first baseman Tommy Splaine was at the plate facing a 2-1 count. On the next pitch, he looped a single into left field, and pinch runner Emilio Corona raced for home.

The crowd held its breath, and all eyes fixated on home plate. Corona dove headfirst, and slipped just underneath the tag to give Arizona a 4-3 win.

Game over, and conference history over all at once. In epic fashion, the Pac-12 served up one more dramatic moment.

Splaine, who had gone hitless before coming to the plate, wasn’t thinking about the historical significance of this moment. He was simply focused on having a productive at-bat.

"I just really wanted to pull through for our team," Splaine said. "I didn’t have a great two first at-bats. I was just sitting off speed there."

As a result of his team-first mindset, he etched himself and his school into the history books. Sports fans will now have to remember what Splaine and the Wildcats did on that night in Scottsdale, writing a fitting ending to a conference that was full of the wacky, unexpected, and often thrilling plays.

So long, Pac-12. For this and so many other memories, thank you.