At this point, it would be a major surprise if Arizona gets to play in Surprise later this month.
The Wildcats lost 7-5 to Houston in 13 innings on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field, their seventh consecutive conference loss and eighth overall in the last nine games. With four games left in the regular season the UA (17-32, 7-19) is two games out of the last spot in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, set for May 18-23 in Surprise.
A game that featured the bottom two teams in the league fittingly featured a lot
of disappointment for both teams. Despite combining for 35 hits—23 by the Cougars—the teams left 31 on base (20 by Houston) and were 6 of 33 with runners in scoring position.
Three of those hits for Houston (22-28, 6-20) came in the 12th and 13th innings, while both of those for Arizona were during a 4-run 5th to take a 4-1 lead. An RBI single by Cash Brennan and a Mathis Meurant safety squeeze bunt were followed by a 2-run home run from Carson McEntire.
The UA’s other run came in the bottom of the 12th when, after Beau Sylvester singled with 1 out he scored on an RBI triple from Maddox Mihalakis, one of 11 players honored during Senior Night pregame festivities. But what followed were the kind of at-bats Arizona had most of the time with runners in scoring position.
Caleb Danzeisen was called out on strikes, one of four strikeouts looking for the UA with two by the true freshman, then Brennan grounded out.
After Houston tied it in the 7th on a 3-run home run by Cade Climie the Wildcats stranded the winning run on third base in the 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th, and three of those got there with less than two out. It also had Brennan tagged out at home on a fielder’s choice in the 11th.
Houston then scored twice in the 13th off Collin McKinney, who was scheduled to start Sunday’s finale but ended up throwing the final three innings, and Arizona went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Arizona will play its final home game Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.
