Kevin Foote

kfoote@theadvertiser.com

So much for the talk about the Pac-12 packing no punch.

At least that’s the way it looked after game one of the NCAA Lafayette Regional at Tigue Moore Field.

The Arizona Wildcats, who finished tied for third in the Pac-12 standings with a 16-14 record, blasted three home runs and got a dominant pitching performance from Nathan Bannister in rolling past Sam Houston 7-3 in Friday’s rain-delayed regional opener.

Arizona (39-20) will now meet the UL-Princeton winner at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Bearkats (41-21), meanwhile, will take on the UL-Princeton loser at 1 p.m. Saturday.

After a five-hour rain delay, the 1 p.m. game didn’t get started until 6 p.m. and the real action didn’t hit until the bottom of the fourth.

That’s when the Wildcats, who only had 19 homers in the regular season, brought out the power bats. First, Ryan Aguilar hit a three-run homer and that was immediately followed on the next pitch with a J.J. Matijevic homer to make it 4-0.

Aguilar led all hitters in the game at 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Two innings later, Dalbec ignited a three-run frame with a two-out solo homer. Cesar Salazar followed with a single ahead of Jared Oliva’s triple to turn it into a blowout.

Bannister (now 10-2) got the win after allowing no runs on four hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

Sam Houston State ace right-hander Heath Donica struggled in dropping to 10-4 on the season, allowing four runs on eight hits, no walks and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Andrew Fregia delivered a two-run double off Arizona reliever Rio Gomez in the top of the ninth, forcing the Wildcats to pitch their closer Dalbec.

Dalbec retired three straight batters to record his eighth save of the season.