TUCSON, Ariz. - The University of Arizona baseball team secured a clutch 5-4 victory over the UConn Huskies Friday night, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn the comeback win. 

Relief pitcher Garrett Hicks earned the win, and Evan Brandt was credited with his first save of the season, while UConn pitcher Garret Garbinski took the loss. Arizona starting pitcher Smith Bailey had another strong outing, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on five hits, while recording six strikeouts. 

The Wildcats recorded six hits and drew four walks, while striking out a season-low five times in the contest. 

Freshman Tony Lira had another outstanding performance, going 2-4 at the plate, including an RBI double in the eighth inning to tie the game at three runs apiece. Fellow freshman Cash Brennan went 1-3 with a walk and scored two runs for the Wildcats. Returning from injury, Roman Meyers went 1-4 at the plate and had two RBI.

Bailey walked Rob Rispoli to start the game; however, Rispoli attempted to steal second base, and Meyers threw him out. Bailey then retired the next two batters to end the top of the first frame. 

Arizona built a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Bickers and Brennan drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning, before Lira was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs. Andrew Cain hit a sacrifice fly to bring Bickers home, and Meyers hit into a fielder's choice, plating a second run.

The two teams then went scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when UConn plated two runs to even the score. 

Patrick Morris entered the game to pitch in the sixth inning and shut down the UConn offense, throwing two innings and allowing just two hits and zero runs. 

The two squads remained deadlocked at two runs apiece entering the eighth inning. Hicks took over for Morris on the mound, and the Huskies were able to score one run after an RBI double, as they took their first lead of the game.

Trailing by one entering the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats showed tremendous poise and resiliency. Brennan led off with a single to left-center field, and Lira immediately followed by lacing an RBI double to the right-center field wall, tying the game at 3-3. After a groundout where Lira advanced to third, Meyers stepped up and knocked a single to shallow center field to bring Lira home and give Arizona the lead. Meyers advanced to second base on the play, and Carson McEntire was up to bat next. McEntire roped a single to left field, and Meyers scored on the play, giving Arizona a 5-3 advantage entering the final frame.

UConn hit a solo shot to get one run back; however, Brandt entered the game with one out and two runners on and was able to force the first batter to fly out to center field. With runners on first and third, Brandt struck out the next batter to end the game and record his first save of the season.

Arizona will return to the field Sunday for the fourth and final game of the series with the contest scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.