Arizona rallied for seven runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, including a five-run seventh, in the Wildcats’ 11-8 victory over Rice at Houston on Wednesday.
Arizona (5-3) has won five consecutive games heading into this weekend’s Astros Foundation College Classic at Houston. The Wildcats open against top-ranked Texas A&M on Friday at 6:05 p.m., Tucson time.
Almost all of Arizona’s lineup recorded at least one hit in a 13-hit attack in Wednesday’s win over Rice (2-5).
The only two players who did not record a hit were Mason White and Easton Breyfogle but each of them reached base on a walk and Breyfogle scored a run.
Leadoff batter Brendan Summerhill went 3 for 6 with a run and two RBIs. He hit a double and triple.
Aaron Walton, a transfer from Samford, was 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI as the No. 2 batter. He also hit a double and recorded a stolen base.
Garen Caulfield (2 for 4 with a run and RBI) and Adonys Guzman (2 for 3 with two runs and five RBIs) were the other players with multi-hit games.
Guzman hit a home run in the second inning to put Arizona ahead 3-0.
With Arizona trailing 7-5 with two outs in the seventh inning, Guzman came to the plate with the bases loaded.
He delivered a bases-clearing double that plated Caulfield, Maddox Mihalakis and former Ironwood Ridge standout Andrew Cain. Caulfield and Mihalakis earlier walked and Cain reached on a fielder’s choice.
Breyfogle and Richie Morales walked to load the bases before Summerhill delivered another double that scored Cain and Breyfogle to give Arizona a 10-7 lead.
Walton and White walked and Caulfield hit a single to load the bases in the top of the eighth.
Cain later hit a sacrifice fly that scored Walton, putting the Wildcats ahead 11-7.
With the upcoming tournament this weekend and Arizona coming off a three-game sweep of San Diego at Hi Corbett Field that concluded Sunday, Arizona coach Chip Hale went with a pitcher-by-committee approach against Rice.
The fifth of six pitchers used, Garrett Hicks (2-0) pitched an effective two innings of relief to record the victory.
He allowed one hit and walked one batter while also striking out three.
Recommended for you
