SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Arizona Wildcats dropped their second straight one-run game Friday night, falling 3-2 to San Diego State in 10 innings in the opening day of play at the Tony Gwynn Legacy.
With two outs and runners on second and third, San Diego State's Jacob Maekawa scored on a wild pitch from Wildcat right-hander
Tylor Megill to give the Aztecs the one-run victory.
After being shut out on Wednesday and losing to Arkansas 1-0, Arizona didn't waste any time going to work offensively Friday.
Cal Stevenson led off the game with a single and moved to second on a one-out walk from
Nick Quintana.
Cesar Salazar followed with an opposite field single to score Stevenson. Quintana moved to third on a throwing error by left fielder matt Rudick.
With two outs and runners on the corners, the Wildcats sent Salazar, and once he drew a throw to second, Quintana hustled home from third for the second run of the inning to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead before
Cody Deason took the mound.
The Aztecs didn't wait long to respond however, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Deason walked the leadoff man and then gave up an infield single to put two on with no outs. Third-place hitter Chase Calabuig doubled to left to score two and tie the game with no outs. Deason got the next three in order to retire the side and keep it a tie game.
Both pitchers settled down after the first and tossed zeroes up on the scoreboard in the second and third. Deason retired six straight over the two innings, piling up three strikeouts in the process. Deason worked into the sixth inning and exited after giving up a single with one out.
The righty, who tossed seven shutout innings in his season debut a week ago, ended up going 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while striking out six. The six strikeouts tied a career high for Deason, who also punched out six against Oregon State last season.
Left-hander
Avery Weems took over for Deason and retired the first six batters he faced, getting the Wildcats through the sixth and seventh. The lefty from Flagstaff tossed 2 2/3 hitless innings, striking out four and needing just 29 pitches total.
Aztec starter Logan Boyer exited on an 0-2 count with no outs in the fourth inning with an apparent injury, forcing left-hander Jacob Erickson to come in the game in relief.
Erickson was effective in his role, limiting the Wildcats to two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings. The Wildcats knocked him out of the game in the eighth when Alfonso Rivas doubled with two outs to put a runner into scoring position for Quintana. However, a strikeout ended the threat.
Salazar and Rivas each had two hits in the loss. Salazar finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Rivas had his first double of the season.
Arizona plays next on Saturday at 2 p.m., MST against Michigan. The Wildcats will close out play in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Sunday at the University of San Diego.
