White moves to 4th on UA career list
Mason White took another step up the Arizona career home run leaderboard, putting his teammates on his back in the process.
White’s 3-run home run with two out in the top of the 5th inning was the difference for the Wildcats in a 5-4 win at BYU on Friday night. That evened the series after the UA (27-11, 11-6 Big 12) lost Thursday’s opener in Provo.
It was the eighth homer of the season for White and 37th of his career, moving past Kenny Corley for 4th on the UA career list. He’s two back of former teammate Chase Davis, who hit 39 from 2021-23.
White, who was 2 for 4 and scored twice, launched a 1-0 pitch over the scoreboard in right after Aaron Walton was hit by a pitch and Maddox Mihalakis walked, both with two out. Six of Arizona’s 12 hits came with two down, including an RBI double by Gunner Geile that put the Wildcats up 2-1 in the 2nd.
Owen Kramkowski allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings, striking out five but walking one and hitting two batters. He ended up getting the win, improving to 6-3, after turning it over to the bullpen which was lights out after struggling in Thursday’s 12-5 loss.
Julian Tonghini and Tony Pluta each threw two scoreless innings, both escaping jams where BYU (19-17, 6-11) had two on with the tying run getting to third base. Tonghini struck out the last two in the 7th with runners on the corners, and in the 8th Pluta put the first two on but then retired the next six he faced, and in the 9th a 4-6-3 double play ended it to give Pluta his eighth save, tying him for 7th-most in single-season school history.
Arizona turned three double plays, upping its season total to 33 including 20 in 17 Big 12 games.
The series finale is set for 10:30 a.m. PT Saturday, with freshman Smith Bailey (1-1, 3.46) on the mound for Arizona.