The University of Arizona baseball team (36-18, 18-12 in Big 12) fell to GCU 5-2 on May 6, at 6 p.m. at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark. The Wildcats lost back-to-back games after losing the series finale to TCU 13-6 on Sunday, May 4.
Arizona jumped out to a fast start after junior Aaron Walton hit a one-out double to left field and stole third base on the very next pitch. Junior Mason White hit a sac-fly to left center, bringing in Walton from third to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.
GCU wasted no time in the bottom half of the first, after junior Zach Yorke launched a 2-run home run to right field, taking a 2-1 lead. After five innings of scoreless baseball, junior Adonys Guzman led off the top of the seventh with a home run to left to tie the game at 2.
In the home half of the inning, the Lopes answered after a sac-fly from junior Emilio Barreras, allowing sophomore Billy Scaldeferri to score. Later in the inning, junior Josh Wakefield stole third and scored after a bad throw from Guzman, pushing the GCU lead to 4-2 at the end of seven innings.
Yorke gave the Lopes insurance after leading off the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot to right center, pushing the GCU lead to 5-2. Yorke’s career-high 12th home run of the campaign put the game out of reach and handed the Wildcats’ 15th loss of the season. GCU became the third team, alongside Texas Tech University and Baylor University, to beat Arizona twice this season.
Arizona’s bullpen, consisting of seniors Eric Orloff, Raul Garayzar, Matthew Martinez and freshman Carson Johnson, went four and one-third shutout innings, allowing no walks, only 2 hits and striking out 5.
Sophomore Bryce McKnight opened the game for the Wildcats but only pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing 2 earned runs on five hits and striking out a pair of batters.
The Wildcat offense struggled, only recording 5 hits and leaving 9 men on base. Guzman provided 2 of those 5 hits, going 2-for-3 while recording an RBI and scoring a run. Senior Garen Caulfield, sophomore Easton Breyfogle and Walton made up the other 3 hits and combined to go 3-for-12.
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