Brendan Summerhill returned to the batting order and the field Tuesday evening at GCU, but Arizona’s top hitter couldn’t spark the offense in a low-scoring defeat.
Catcher Adonys Guzman went 2 for 3 with a solo home run in a 5-2 loss that gave the ‘Lopes the season series victory (2-1) for a second consecutive year. GCU’s Zach Yorke hit two home runs to become the school’s all-time leader in homers at the Division I level.
Arizona (33-15, 15-9 Big 12) fell to 9-2 in midweek games with both losses coming at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
The Wildcats got good news before the game when coach Chip Hale penciled in Summerhill to bat leadoff. Summerhill was out of the starting lineup the last week and a half with a hamstring strain he suffered in an April 26 game at Texas Tech.
Summerhill also took right field for the first time since fracturing his right hand in a loss to West Virginia in late March.
Summerhill made loud contact line outs in two of three plate appearances, including a drive to the right field warning track to lead off the game. Summerhill’s other plate appearance was a walk. He also made one put out in right field.
Hale removed Summerhill late in the game, pinch hitting Gunner Geile in his place. Hale declined to comment after the game.
The Arizona offense mustered up just five hits on the night, with one of them coming in the first inning on an Aaron Walton double. Walton scored a batter later Mason White sac fly.
GCU responded in the bottom of the first on a Yorke two-run homer off Arizona starter Bryce McKnight. McKnight allowed two earned runs and five hits in 1.2 innings.
Arizona relievers Eric Orloff, Carson Johnson, Raul Garayzar and Matthew Martinez all threw scoreless outings to keep the game at 2-1 entering the seventh inning.
Guzman tied the score with a blast to left field, but the tie was short-lived. GCU took advantage of a pair of Wildcats errors in the bottom of the frame to score two runs.
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The first error, a throwing miscue by White, allowed the leadoff runner to get on. Arizona’s Julian Tonghini induced a groundout, then walked the next batter. A wild pitch put runners on second and third.
GCU regained the lead on a sacrifice fly, then added a fourth run when Guzman tried to throw out a runner stealing third and ended up airmailing the ball into the outfield. Both of Tonghini’s runs were unearned. Tonghini took the loss to move to 4-2 on the year.
GCU’s Yorke added an insurance run on a solo homer in the eighth.
The Wildcats will look to put the loss behind them when they host Utah (18-25, 5-19 Big 12) for a three-game series beginning Friday at Hi Corbett Field.