Arizona’s bats came to play, and the bullpen did its job, yet the Wildcats still found themselves on the wrong side of a 1-run game due to a pair of costly fielding miscues.
Two errors by third baseman Richie Morales allowed No. 16 Alabama to score its final three runs, including two in the 8th to go ahead for good, in Arizona’s 7-6 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Frisco College Baseball Classic.
The UA (4-6) has lost both games in Frisco by one run, falling to 1-3 in those games this season.
Morales, a junior college transfer, rushed a bad throw with two out in the top of the 8th that got past first baseman Tommy Splaine and allowed two runs to score. That was after Arizona took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the 7th with two runs.
Arizona had a chance to tie it in the ninth after putting runners on the corners with one out, but after Emilio Corona struck out and Xavier Esquer was down 0-2 Brendan Summerhill tried to steal home and was easily tagged out at the plate.
Alabama (11-0) had taken a 5-4 lead in the 7th after Morales couldn’t field a grounder with two down, allowing a runner to score from second.
The UA scored four in the 4th on a pair of 2-run home runs, one by Mason White and the other by catcher Blake McDonald. It was the fifth of the season and second of the tournament for White, while McDonald got his first since transferring from Saint Mary’s.
Alabama cut the lead to one with a 3-run fifth against Wildcats right-hander Clark Candiotti, who went six innings but left with it tied at 4 after giving up a solo homer in the sixth.
Three Arizona relievers follow.ed Candiotti and did not allow an earned run, but all three baserunners ended up scoring. Jaeden Swanberg ended up being tagged with the loss
Arizona’s two runs in the 7th came on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded by Summerhill and a 2-out infield single by White. White hit one into the shift, with Alabama’s second baseman in short right field, but managed to slide into first ahead of the tag as Brandon Rogers scored from second to make it 6-5.
White was 3 for 5 with three RBI, while Morales had two doubles from the No. 9 hole.
The UA takes on No. 20 Indiana at 11 a.m. MT Sunday in the Frisco finale, the seventh of 11 straight games for the Wildcats away from home.