PALO ALTO, Calif. – The Arizona Wildcats fell in the series finale versus Stanford on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Cardinal at Sunken Diamond.
The Cardinal completed the three-game sweep of the Wildcats, who dropped to 27-15 overall and 9-12 in conference play. The Cats avoided a shutout when
JJ Matijevic homered in the ninth inning.
Arizona starter
Cody Deason held the Cardinal scoreless over the first two innings, and then suffered some tough luck in the third when Stanford struck for two runs. With two outs and a runner on first base, Deason got shortstop Nico Hoerner to pop up to shallow center field. But the ball dropped in the middle of a trio of Arizona defenders for an RBI double to make it 1-0.
After an intentional walk, Daniel Bakst singled up the middle to score Hoerner and make it 2-0. Two innings later, with the score still 2-0, Deason suffered some more bad luck. With one out and Horner on second base, Deason again got a shallow pop fly, this time from Bakst. Nearly in the same spot as Hoerner's hit in the third, the ball trickled off shortstop
Louis Boyd's glove for an RBI single to make it 3-0. Deason got the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Deason came back for the sixth, but exited after a leadoff walk, finishing his day.
Landon Faulkner came on and got the next two batters, before issuing a walk himself.
Robby Medel then entered from the bullpen and got out of the inning to strand the two runners.
Medel stayed on the in the seventh. The Cardinal loaded the bases with one out, but Medel got a pop out and a fly out to escape any damage and get out of the inning. Medel got the first out of the eighth inning, and then exited after pitching in Friday's game as well. Medel tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and hasn't given up an earned run since his first appearance of the season against Eastern Kentucky in the team's first series of the year in February.
The Cats pitching staff gave Arizona's offense a few different chances to get back in the game, but the Wildcats couldn't take advantage. Arizona got its first two men on base in the fourth and fifth innings, but couldn't scratch out any runs either inning. Those two chances represented Arizona's best opportunities to score off Stanford's Chris Castellanos, who earned his seventh win of the season to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Castellanos went eight innings, giving up three hits and two walks, while striking out 12 on 122 pitches. The 12 strikeouts established a new career high for the senior left-hander. Tyler Thorne came on to pitch the ninth and earn the save. His only blemish was the solo home run he allowed to Matijevic, which went to straight away center field. It was Matijevic's team-leading seventh home run of the season.
Arizona will look to rebound Monday afternoon at Santa Clara. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Cats will then return home to host Washington for a three-game series starting Friday.
