After another listless series-opening performance on Thursday, Arizona was in desperate need of a bounceback. That came in the form of its best offensive output in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats used a 9-run top of the 2nd inning to pace a 14-6 win at Houston on Friday night, evening the series and keeping alive their hopes of a top-4 conference finish.
Arizona (35-18, 17-12) churned out 17 hits, at least one from every starter and the most in a Big 12 game this season while tying its most runs in conference play. Aaron Walton had four hits after going 3 for 30 in the previous seven games, while Garen Caulfield and Tommy Splaine had three apiece.
Caulfield drove in three and hit his second home run in as many games. Arizona also got homers from Andrew Cain and Easton Breyfogle, who also had three RBI.
The UA sent 12 batters to the plate in the 2nd with the first six reaching base, to go up 9-0. That was plenty of cushion for Raul Garayzar, who was making his first weekend start and fifth overall.
Garayzar allowed a run on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.00 as a starter. Matthew Martinez got the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, getting a strikeout looking to end the 5th and strand two Cougars (29-23, 12-16).
Arizona is currently alone on fifth place in the Big 12, a game ahead of Cincinnati and Kansas State and a game back of ASU and TCU. A win for the Wildcats and a loss by either the Sun Devils (at Oklahoma State) or Horned Frogs (at Utah) would move the UA into the No. 4 seed.
The top four seeds get a bye into Thursday’s Big 12 quarterfinals, while fifth and lower have to start Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The regular season finale is Saturday at 11 a.m. PT with freshman Smith Bailey coming off his longest outing of the year.