TUCSON, Ariz. - Beau Sylvester recorded a career-high four hits and Tony Lira went 3-for-5 at the plate, but Arizona fell just short against No. 25 Arizona State on Thursday night, 6-4.
The Wildcats totaled 11 hits but stranded 12 runners, while the Sun Devils collected 12 hits in the contest.
Owen Kramkowski turned in a quality start for Arizona, tossing 6.1 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out five.
Arizona State's Alex Overbay earned the win with 2.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk. Derek Schaefer secured his fifth save of the season.
Sylvester paced the Wildcats with a perfect 4-for-4 performance that included a double, three singles, one RBI, and one run scored. Lira added three hits, including a double, and drove in a run while scoring once. Carson McEntire picked up where he left off Tuesday night, going 1-2 with two walks, a double, and two RBI. Mathis Meurant had one hit and one RBI, and made several sensational plays at shortstop for Arizona.
Arizona State struck first, plating one run in each of the opening two innings to take a 2-0 lead.
Arizona answered in the bottom of the second, when McEntire roped a two-run double off the wall in left field to even the score.
The Sun Devils regained the lead with a run in the third, but the Wildcats responded again in the sixth. Meurant delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
ASU broke through in the seventh, scoring three runs to take its largest lead of the night at 6-3.
Arizona threatened in the bottom half of the inning. Lira crushed a one-out double down the left field line to build some momentum. After Nate Novitske walked, Arizona's next batter struck out, bringing Sylvester up to bat with two on and two outs. Sylvester came through with a double down the left field line to score Lira and trim ASU's lead down to 6-4.
The Wildcats were unable to score in the eighth, as they entered the final frame still trailing by two runs.
Lira led off with a single to left field to open the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back outs brought Sylvester up to the plate. With Arizona down to its final out and facing an 0-2 count, Sylvester ripped a single through the left side of the field for his fourth hit of the night and Lira advanced to third. Arizona was unable to collect another hit, as they fell to ASU, 6-4.
The Wildcats will return to Hi Corbett Field on Saturday at 6 p.m. for game two of the series against the Sun Devils.
