The life of a relief pitcher can be unpredictable. Many factors go into determining if a coach will go to his bullpen, and if he does, who gets the call: the strength of the starting pitcher; the team's lead or deficit; the opposition's hitters. But after his dominance of rival Sonoma State last weekend, AJ Epstein can safely assume that Head Coach Dave Taylor will be itching for a reason to call his number.
Epstein went 2-0 and allowed just one hit in seven innings of work as the Wildcats split a four-game series with the Seawolves, earning Wildcat of the Week honors.
The junior transfer from Barstow Community College surrendered just one hit in three innings to earn the win in Thursday's 3-2 walk off victory, and then fired four no-hit frames to win Sunday's Capital City Clash.
In Thursday's game, Epstein retired the first eight batters he faced, worked around a two-out single in the ninth, and then watched from the dugout as the Wildcats scored twice in the bottom-half of the inning to net him his first NCAA pitching victory.
Eptsein was back at it Sunday, firing four no-hit innings to earn the win in the Wildcats' 7-2 victory. He entered the game with nobody out and the bases loaded in the fifth with the Wildcats clinging to a 6-1 lead. He immediately got a double-play grounder and then struck out the next hitter to end the frame and the Seawolves' final scoring threat.
Epstein and the Wildcats are at UC San Diego for a four-game series this weekend.
