Arizona pitchers notch 15 K’s in win over Louisiana Tech, Wildcats’ winning streak 9 games

There’s no place like home.

While Dorothy wasn’t able to attend, there were more than 90 “Totos” in attendance as Arizona Baseball held a Bark at the Park event Friday to kick off their non-conference three-game series against Louisiana Tech.

Arizona (19-13) returned to Hi Corbett after sweeping Cal in Berkeley, Calif., last weekend and beating Stanford at Palo Alto, Calif., on Monday, dominating in a 9-1 win over the Bulldogs.

With the win over Louisiana Tech (26-10), the Wildcats have won nine in a row, which ties the third-longest winning streak in the country. A 10th straight win on Saturday would tie Arizona’s longest winning streak since 2021.

Arizona pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts on Friday night, and they retired the final 17 batters they faced.

Nine of those strikeouts came from Jackson Kent, who has emerged as a solid Friday starter tor the Wildcats. Kent’s nine strikeouts tied his career best.

“Basically just took it and ran with it. (Pitching coach) Kevin (Vance) and (director of player development) John (DeRouin) from the minute they saw him, they loved his stuff and they thought they could do some things, which they did,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said about Kent becoming the Friday starter.

Kent ended the night allowing three hits in seven innings, with a run, walk, hit-batter in addition to his nine strikeouts.

Dawson Netz fanned three in the eighth inning and Anthony Susac closed the game with three of his own strikeouts.

Arizona’s bats were working all night as seven players combined for 12 hits.  

Brendan Summerhill and Adonys Guzman led the way with three each.

Arizona grabbed the lead in the first inning when Richie Morales hit a leadoff single up the right gap. Morales stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Garen Caulfield grounded out to third brought Morales home.

Summerhill tripled to right center and was brought home off a Guzman single to right.

Hi Corbett magic showed up in the third inning when Arizona added a run off of a defensive bobble from the Bulldogs.

With two out and Summerhill sitting at second base, Guzman hit a high pop up toward third base. Louisiana Tech third baseman Will Safford completely misjudged the ball and dropped it. Meanwhile, Summerhill was lightly jogging around third and into home.

The Wildcats scored four runs in the fifth.

Summerhill doubled down the right field line. It was a slow poke of a ball. Mason White (Salpointe grad) scored and Summerhill advanced to third on the throw. Summerhill was originally called out at third and immediately started signaling for a challenge. After review the call was overturned. Guzman singled to left bringing Summerhill home.

“He (Safford) tagged the ground, the ump called me out, it was a tough angle that he had. I was immediately like we should challenge that and it worked,” Summerhill said about the call at third.

Maddox Mihalakis singled to right, plating Easton Breyfogle and Corona scored on a wild pitch.

Arizona’s final run came in the eighth inning when Guzman’s single through left brought White across the plate.

The Bulldogs scored their only run in the second inning when Jorge Corona doubled followed by an Adarius Myers double that scored Corona.

Arizona and Louisiana Tech play second game of their series on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

PAC-12 BASEBALL STANDINGS

Saturday’s schedule:
Cal at Washington State, 2 p.m.
USC at Oregon, 2 p.m.
UCLA at Washington, 2:05 p.m.
Stanford at Oregon State, 5 p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Utah at Arizona State, 6:30 p.m.