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The Arizona Wildcats remain winless in the final game of Pac-12 series after falling 3-2 at ASU on Saturday night in Phoenix.
Despite outhitting the Sun Devils 11-5, Arizona (18-8, 5-4 Pac-12) left 10 runners on base and were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Wildcats came up short in their attempt to sweep ASU (16-7, 5-4) but did pull off their second consecutive series win in conference play.
ASU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second against UA starter TJ Nichols, who fell to 3-2 despite only allowing three runs and three hits in six innings while striking out a season-best eight. Arizona pulled within one in the third on Jacob Berry RBI single, and after ASU upped the advantage to 3-1 in the sixth the Wildcats had chances to come back in the seventh and eighth but only managed one run.
Arizona opened the top of the eighth with singles by Daniel Susac and Ryan Holgate, giving Jacob Blas a 1st-and-3rd situation with no outs. Blas grounded into a double play, scoring Susac to make it 3-2, then Tanner O’Tremba was hit by a pitch and Kobe Kato singled and stole second base to put two runners in scoring position only to see Nik McClaughry strike out.
Despite the loss, Arizona’s bullpen was sharp once again. Quinn Flanagan, Riley Cooper and Dawson Netz allowed only two baserunners, and for the series Wildcat relievers yielded only one earned run in 12 innings of work.
Arizona and ASU meet again Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT at Hi Corbett Field in a nonconference game.