5-run 8th propels Arizona baseball past Stanford to clinch series

As if Friday night’s comeback wasn’t good enough, the Arizona Wildcats decided to one up themselves on Saturday.

The UA scored five times in the bottom of the 8^th inning, rallying to beat Stanford 6-5 at Hi Corbett Field. Combined with Friday’s 3-2 comeback win over the 12th-ranked Cardinal, No. 16 Arizona (15-4, 4-1 Pac-12) has clinched its first series over Stanford since 2016.

Garen Caulfield’s sacrifice fly drove in Mac Bingham with the winning run after Tyler Casagrande tied it with a single through the right side. The scoring started with a 3-run home run by Chase Davis, his 6^th, off Stanford starter Quinn Mathews, who had only allowed an unearned run on six hits over the first seven before the first three Wildcats reached in the 8^th.

Stanford (9-7, 1-4) had added to a 3-1 lead in the top of the 8^th with a pair of solo homers off UA reliever Trevor Long, who picked up the save Friday night and had not allowed an earned run before that. Holden Christian came on with two outs in the 8^th and finished it out, picking up the win after striking out Stanford’s Drew Bowser on three pitches.

UA starter Garrett Irvin allowed two runs in the top of the first but then settled in, going six-plus innings with six strikeouts.

Arizona finished with 10 hits, three by Casagrande and two each by Davis and Daniel Susac.

The Wildcats will go for the sweep—it hasn’t swept Stanford since 2015—at 6 p.m. PT Sunday, with right-hander Dawson Netz on the mound.