Arizona baseball started its series against Baylor with a 8-5 loss, ending the 14 game home win streak for the Wildcats.
The matchup featured pitcher Collin McKinney going against his former team. He started strong going three up and three down, including a strikeout.
Mason White started the hitting for the Wildcats with a triple to right center field. Then it was Adonys Guzman bringing White in with a single to left field.
Arizona (19-6, 5-2 Big 12) would take a 1-0 lead into the second inning.
However, that lead would quickly disappear. McKinney would end up walking four out of the next six batters.
Once the bases were loaded, it was Baylor’s Tyriq Kemp singling to left field bringing in two runners. This ended McKinney’s matchup against his former team quickly as Casey Hintz came in to pitch.
Hintz would immediately get a strikeout and after a line out the top of the second inning would end with Baylor leading 2-1.
Three straight ground outs by Arizona took the game to the third inning, but Baylor (18-7, 3-4) was not able to add to the lead in the top of the third.
Arizona found the scoreboard again. After a TJ Adams double, Garen Caulfield hit it high right on the right field line, and it brought in Adams to tie the game at two a piece.
Baylor quickly reclaimed the lead. Following another Kemp single, JJ Kennett homered to left field giving Baylor a 4-2 lead. Nothing more was produced for the Bears in the inning.
The Wildcats started the bottom of the fourth with a single from Maddox Mihalakis. After Tommy Splaine was hit, Easton Breyfogle singled to left to bring in Mihalakis.
With two runners in scoring position to either tie or take the lead, a strikeout and back to back ground outs kept a 4-3 lead with Baylor going to the fifth inning.
The Bears would extend their lead after a Travis Sanders single brought in Jack Little. No more damage would be done by Baylor.
White singled for the second time which was then followed by a Guzman single to right field bringing in White, closing the gap to one run.
However, that gap would go back to two runs after Wesley Jordan doubled to left center field, which brought in Enzo Apodaca.
The lead would inflate for Baylor as Hunter Simmons would bring in Jordan to make it 7-4 Baylor.
Hintz’s night would end in the sixth inning, bringing in Garrett Hicks. The Wildcats would not cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as they went three up and three down.
Baylor could not score again in the top of the seventh, while Arizona was able to cut into the lead after another White single, which was then brought in by Mihalakis.
White continuously put Arizona in a position to get back in the game, which was one of the few things head coach Chip Hale was pleased with
“No doubt when we hit the ball hard on the ground, low and hard, we’re good,” Hale said.
Hicks’ night would finish, with Matthew Martinez coming in to try and prevent the Baylor lead from growing.
Again, Baylor could not add to its lead, leaving the door open for Arizona. The score would remain in favor of the Bears as the Wildcats could not cut into the lead.
In what would end up being the nail in the coffin, Johnson would double down the right field line for Baylor, which brought in Cortlan Castle.
This would be Arizona’s second conference loss of the season.
“We just, we didn’t do anything right, we didn’t pitch well, we didn’t swing the bats like we can,” said Hale. “We’re definitely leaking oil, and they played very well.”
The Wildcats will look to even the series with a win night and hope to prevent as many runs and hits as they did today.