The Arizona baseball team defeated Baylor 11-6 on Sunday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field in the third game of the series, avoiding a sweep after dropping the first two games Friday and Saturday.
“I feel extremely good,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said after his team’s 15th home win of the season, to only two losses. Hale mentioned the importance of winning 66 percent of the Big 12 games to date.
The Wildcats are 20-7 overall and 6-3 in conference games.
His team jumped on Baylor starter Carson Bailey early, scoring 10 runs in the first inning with eight of them being off of Bailey. Center Fielder Aaron Walton started the scoring with a two-run home run that scored Garen Caulfield after a lead-off walk.
“It was great to jump on them early,” Walton said. “Sundays are about energy, so coming out with that was great.”
The lead was extended to 4-0 when right fielder Gunner Geile delivered a two-run single with two outs in the inning.
With the team down outfielders Brendan Summerhill and Easton Breyfogle to injuries, Geile, a freshman, stepped up alongside outfielder TJ Adams.
“Just making sure that you’re ready in case something happens,” Geile said.
Adams delivered a two-run double which made the game 6-0 before Walton produced another RBI to make the score 7-0.
Back-to-back doubles from Mason White and Adonys Guzman made the game 10-0.
Arizona starter Smith Bailey tossed 4 1/3 innings, striking out three and allowing four runs.
Baylor (19-8, 4-5) got on the board in the second inning with an RBI groundout that was matched in the third inning on a solo home run by White.
The home run is White’s 34th of his Arizona career, which ranks tied for sixth in program history with Dave Shermet (1985-88).
ARIZONA CAREER HOME RUN LEADERS
| Player | Years | HR |
|---|---|---|
| Shelley Duncan | 1999-2001 | 55 |
| Brad Glenn | 2006-09 | 43 |
| Chase Davis | 2021-23 | 39 |
| Kenny Corley | 1995-98 | 36 |
| Nick Quintana | 2017-19 | 35 |
| Mason White | 2023-25 | 34 |
| David Shermet | 1985-88 | 34 |
| Les Pearsey | 1975-78 | 33 |
| C.J. Zeigler | 2007-08 | 33 |
| Moises Duran | 2001-04 | 32 |
Baylor scored another run in the fourth inning before scoring four runs in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 11-6.
The Wildcats’ bullpen did a nice job of shutting down Baylor from there, as Hunter Alberini, Garrett Hicks and Julian Tonghini were able to keep the lead in check before Tony Pluta finished the game.
Tonghini got the win to improve to 3-0.
The team will travel to Phoenix twice this week, first to take on Grand Canyon on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before playing Arizona State in a three-game series that starts Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon won its first NCAA tournament game in program history last year when it defeated Arizona at Hi Corbett in an NCAA regional game.
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