The University of Arizona baseball team wrapped up a three-game series matchup against BYU from Thursday, April 17, to Saturday, April 19. The Wildcats came away with two wins and a loss on the road in Provo, Utah.
Game 1: BYU 12 – Arizona 5
A big seventh inning proved to be the difference when Arizona fell to BYU, 12-5, in the opener of the Wildcats’ Big 12 three-game series at Miller Park.
Despite strong early offensive output and a solid start from right-hander Collin McKinney, the Wildcats were unable to hold off a late BYU rally, as the Cougars erupted for 8 runs in the bottom of the seventh to flip the game on its head.
Arizona opened the scoring, notching a run on two hits in the top of the first. The Wildcat offense continued to push in the second inning, adding 2 more runs through a pair of doubles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to take a 3-1 lead. Center fielder Aaron Walton led the charge, going 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, a run scored and 2 RBI. The Wildcats added two more in the top of the seventh to claim a 5-4 lead, capped by Maddox Mihalakis’ RBI double to center.
However, Arizona’s momentum quickly shifted in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff walk and a couple of well-placed singles from BYU, an error and a hit-by-pitch helped open the floodgates. The Cougars capitalized with clutch hitting. Standouts included Crew McChesney (3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI) and Keoni Painter (1-for-2, 3 RBI), who put up 8 runs in the frame and took a commanding 12-5 lead, which went onto be the final score.
BYU finished with 12 hits and committed zero errors, including standout defensive efforts from first baseman Cooper Vest, who tallied six putouts, and shortstop Ryder Robinson, who added two more.
Thursday was just the third time all season Arizona has allowed double-digit runs.
Game 2: Arizona 5 – BYU 4
Behind a clutch home run from shortstop Mason White and four shutdown innings from the bullpen, Arizona bounced back to defeat BYU 5-4.
Arizona jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, but BYU quickly answered as Ryder Robinson crushed a solo homer to tie the game. The Cougars briefly pulled ahead in the fourth with a 2-run rally, sparked by a Tate Gambill double and RBI singles from Painter and Easton Jones.
In the fifth inning, the Wildcats took control and didn’t look back. After back-to-back two-out baserunners, White unloaded on a fastball and sent it over the wall. The blast gave the Wildcats a 5-3 lead and moved White within 2 home runs of tying Chase Davis for third all-time in program history.
BYU responded in the bottom half of the frame, with Cooper Vest and Bryker Hurdsman setting the stage, allowing Gambill to deliver with a single up the middle, bringing the Cougars within 1. However, that would be as close as BYU would get to closing the gap.
Arizona’s bullpen slammed the door shut on the victory. Julian Tonghini was electric in two innings of relief, striking out four without allowing a hit or walk. Tony Pluta, a standout closer in the Big 12, finished the job with two more scoreless frames to earn his conference-leading eighth save of the year.
Owen Kramkowski (6-3) picked up the win, tossing five innings and allowing 4 runs while striking out five. For BYU, it was a case of missed chances. Despite double-digit hits and multi-hit nights from Robinson, Vest and Gambill, the Cougars couldn’t cash in during the game’s latter half.
BYU outhit Arizona 12-9, but were unable to find the late-inning spark to match Thursday’s comeback magic. The Cougars stranded several runners and were shut out in the final four innings.
Game 3: Arizona 7 – BYU 5
A clutch go-ahead home run from White and another stellar performance from the bullpen lifted Arizona to a 7-5 win over BYU, securing the road series victory.
Arizona broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning on White’s second homer of the series — a solo blast that sailed into the trees beyond the right field fence — and never relinquished the lead. The Tucson native continued to shine, going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and a home run, raising his average to .325 and further cementing his role as one of the most dangerous bats in the conference.
BYU showed fight throughout, briefly leading 3-1 after a 2-run homer from Ryder Robinson in the third inning. The game was leveled in the sixth on a clutch 2-RBI double from McChesney. However, Arizona’s bullpen once again proved the difference, holding the Cougars scoreless over the final three innings.
Freshman Smith Bailey turned in five gritty innings for the Wildcats, allowing just 3 runs, 2 of them earned, on 4 hits while striking out five. He threw 101 pitches but didn’t factor into the decision.
Relievers Hunter Alberini and Casey Hintz slammed the door. Alberini (1-0) earned his first win of the year, striking out four over two scoreless innings, while Hintz retired the Cougars in order in the ninth to lock down his first save of the season.
The win marked Arizona’s fourth straight conference road series victory, a sign of a team that’s hitting its stride at the right time as postseason play nears.
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