TUCSON, Ariz. – Stanford scored five runs in the ninth inning to erase a three-run deficit and top Arizona 8-7 Saturday night in front of a season-high 4,750 fans at Hi Corbett Field.
 
The loss dropped Arizona to 23-14 on the season and 6-8 in Pac-12 play. No. 2 Stanford improved to 29-5 and 11-3 in league play with the comeback victory. The Wildcats will look to salvage a game in the series Sunday afternoon at noon in the finale.
 
Tied at three in the bottom of the eighth inning, Arizona loaded the bases with no outs. But a 1-2-3 three double play gave the Cardinal the first two outs of the inning and put runners and second and third with two outs for freshman shortstop Jacob Blas. Reliever Jacob Palish threw the first two pitches to Blas to get it to a 1-1 count.
 
But Stanford manager David Esquer went to closer Jack Little to face Blas. On the first pitch he saw from Little, Blas hit a ball to right field that a diving Alec Wilson couldn't get to. The ball skittered past him and Blas was able to come around for a three-run inside-the-park home run to give Arizona a 6-3 lead heading into the ninth inning.
 
Tylor Megill, who came on in the seventh, started the ninth, but ran into trouble. Beau Branton singled weakly up the middle to lead off the inning and then scored one batter later when Tim Tawa doubled down the left field line. Nico Hoerner then beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Megill got Andrew Daschbach swinging for the first out, and the Cats intentionally walked Kyle Stowers to load the bases.
 
Catcher Maverick Handley walked off Megill to score Tawa and make it 6-5. Right-hander Zach Stone then came on and got Matthew Decker swinging for the second out. Centerfielder Christian Robinson singled to right to plate two runs and Handley was able to come around from first base to score when right fielder Blake Paugh bobbled the ball.
 
Robinson's hit made it 8-6 going to the ninth after Stone struck out Alec Wilson for the final out of the inning. The Cats threatened in the ninth with Cameron Cannon and Alfonso Rivas producing back-to-back singles to start the inning. But Brendan Beck was able to get the final three outs, allowing just one run to score on a RBI fielder's choice from Donta Williams to make it 8-7. The game ended when Beck got freshman pinch-hitter Tate Soderstrom to ground out to first base.
 
Rivas finished 2 for 5, including a seventh inning home run that tied the game at three with the Cats trailing 3-2. He extended his hitting streak to nine games. Blas finished 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run scored. Starter Michael Flynn didn't factor into a decision, but tossed 5 2/3 solid innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while tying his career high with eight strikeouts. Megill took the loss to fall to 1-3.