TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona baseball team erupted for a season-high 17 hits as the Wildcats powered past Texas Tech, 14-6, on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field to even the weekend series.
Arizona (8-14, 2-3) turned in its most complete offensive performance of the season, with all nine starters recording a hit and six players posting multi-hit games. The Wildcats matched their season high with 14 runs, while Texas Tech (14-8, 3-2) finished with 12 hits and four walks.
Smith Bailey (3-0) earned the win after working 5.0 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits. Connor Mohan took the loss for the Red Raiders.
Nate Novitske and Andrew Cain led the offensive surge with three hits apiece. Cain drove in three runs, while Novitske added two RBI.
Jackson Forbes also had an exceptional performance, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Tony Lira, Maddox Mihalakis, and Roman Meyers each added two hits, with Meyers driving in two and Lira and Mihalakis recording one RBI apiece.
Caleb Danzeisen maintained his stretch of sensational play at the plate, reaching base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI.
Out of the bullpen, Patrick Morris delivered 3.0 scoreless innings to shut down Texas Tech, allowing just two hits. Corey Kling finished the job in the ninth, striking out three.
Texas Tech had an impressive start to the game, as they hit a two-run shot to center field in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead early.
The Wildcats responded immediately, scoring two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. After a flyout to open the at-bat, Danzeisen walked. After another flyout, Mihalakis singled through the right side to put two on. Cain ripped a triple down the left field line in the next at-bat to score both runners and tie the game.
The Red Raiders tacked on another run in the top of the second; but, Arizona had responded once again. In the bottom half of the frame, Carson McEntire initiated the offense with a one-out double to right field. He tagged on a flyout in the next at-bat to advance to third. Novitske then delivered a two-out RBI single to tie the game. Danzeisen was up next and crushed a triple to center field, scoring Novitske and giving the Wildcats their first lead of the game. Lira drew a walk next, and Mihalakis laced a double to right-center field to score Danzeisen and increase Arizona's lead.
Bailey struck out two batters and retired the side in the top of the third. Forbes reached on an error with one out in the bottom half of the inning, and two batters later, Gavin Triezenberg recorded his first career hit, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Novitske stepped up and came through in a massive way yet again, singling to right field to score Forbes and increase Arizona's lead to 6-3.
Texas Tech hit another two-run homer in the top of the fourth to trim the lead down to 6-5.
Lira led off in the bottom of the fourth by smashing a double to right-center field. After back-to-back outs, Meyers came up to bat. Facing a 1-2 count, he hit a fly ball to left field that landed just on the right side of the line to stay fair, resulting in an RBI double. Forbes was up next, and the freshman tripled to left-center field to score Meyers. Forbes was able to score in the next at-bat on a wild pitch, as the Wildcats extended their lead up to 9-5.
The Red Raiders were able to get one run back in the top of the fifth frame.
After an out to start the bottom of the fifth, Novitske doubled to right-center field and Danzeisen walked for the second time to put two on. Lira had his second hit of the game, a single to left field to score Novitske. Two batters later, Cain delivered an RBI single to plate Danzeisen. After Meyers reached first base on catcher's interference, Forbes stepped up with three on and two outs. The freshman swung at the first pitch he saw and blasted a single to center field to bring two more runs across, as the Wildcats took a 13-6 lead.
Morris entered the game in the sixth and retired the side. He continued his stellar effort in the seventh, forcing two groundouts and striking out one to shut down the Texas Tech offense. Arizona added one more insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, as Mihalakis scored on a Meyers single.
The Red Raiders were able to get two runners on in the eighth; however, Morris forced back-to-back flyouts to end the half inning.
Kling entered in the top of the ninth and allowed one hit but struck out three batters, ending the game and securing the impressive victory for the Wildcats.
With the win, Arizona evens the series and sets up a decisive rubber match against Texas Tech on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
