The Arizona baseball team took on West Virginia University this past weekend in Tucson for a three-game series. Neither team entered the series ranked.
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.
Game one of the series was a nail-biter with a lot of offense from both sides. West Virginia went through seven different pitchers, with Carlson Reed getting the win for West Virginia in this 11-inning battle.
Arizona struck first, scoring 2 runs right off the bat after RBI doubles from outfielder Chase Davis and first baseman Kiko Romero. West Virginia would score their first 2 runs in the third after a JJ Wetherholt homerun off of TJ Nichols. In the bottom of the inning, Arizona responded with another run to make it 3-1 on a Tommy Splaine double to drive in Mac Bingham.
West Virginia took the lead in the top of the sixth with an RBI single from Braden Barry to drive in 2 runs. Ellis Garcia drove in another run the next inning to extend the lead to 2. Arizona responded in the eighth with a Mason White RBI sacrifice fly and a Davis walk with the bases loaded to make it 5-5.
Arizona wouldn’t be able to respond after Wetherholt stole home for West Virginia in the top of the 11th to win the game 6-5.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m.
Game two of the series wasn’t as close as West Virginia took control, winning 5-1. The Mountaineers scored 2 in the second and the Wildcats scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the same inning after a White sacrifice fly brought Bingham home.
West Virginia scored 2 more in the fifth and 1 in the seventh to seal the 5-1 win, taking the second game of the series. The loss went to Anthony Susac, who is now 0-2.
Game 3: Sunday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m.
Arizona put on a huge show on offense scoring 15 runs in the third and final game of the series, getting Dawson Netz his first win of the season.
West Virginia started the first with a Wetherholt solo homer. Arizona responded with a 3-run bottom of the first. White scored on a walk and Bingham went yard to drive in 2 runs.
The Wildcat offense kept laying it on with 2 more runs in the second and 1 more in each of the third and fourth innings. The bottom of the fifth was very eventful, with the Wildcats scoring 6 runs on eight hits including a Bingham home run. Arizona scored 2 more in the sixth to seal the 15-5 victory and claim one game in the series.
What’s Next
Arizona ends the series with a 4-3 record and will play California Baptist University on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson at 6 p.m.
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