No. 24 Arizona’s baseball team dropped its season opener Friday night to Stanford, 10-7, in the first game of the College Baseball Series at Surprise.
The Wildcats had an impressive outing at the plate, recording 11 hits and scored seven runs. Arizona tallied four extra-base hits, including two solo home runs.
Walden Grove graduate Owen Kramkowski started on the mound and pitched a scoreless first inning.
Arizona’s offense got going early, as Milwaukee transfer Tyler Bickers drew a leadoff walk; and, two batters later Ironwood Ridge graduate Andrew Cain singled down the left field line, scoring Bickers and giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
Stanford scored one run in each of their next two at-bats, as it built the first lead of the game, a 2-1 advantage entering the bottom of the third.
Mathis Meurant commenced the bottom of the third with a leadoff single, and Bickers followed with a single of his own, advancing Meurant to third. Maddox Mihalakis then hit a deep fly ball to left field that was caught; however, Meurant was able to tag up and score on the play to even the game at two runs apiece.
The Cardinal responded in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs to take a 5-2 lead, but the Wildcats had an answer in the bottom of the fourth.
Oklahoma State transfer Beau Sylvester laced a double to right field to open the half inning. After a strikeout, Oregon State transfer Carson McEntire hit a ball right back up the middle for a single and tallied an RBI, as Sylvester scored on the play. Nate Novitske then stepped in and smashed a ball to right center for a stand-up double, while McEntire advanced to third. After another strikeout, Bickers had a clutch single that scored both McEntire and Novitske, tying the game once again.
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning, as they entered the sixth frame tied at 5.
Stanford had a huge sixth inning at the plate, scoring five runs to build a 10-5 lead. Arizona battled back in the bottom of the sixth, as Golden West College transer Roman Meyers and McEntire hit back-to-back solo home runs, trimming the deficit to three runs.
Matthew Martinez entered the game in relief for Arizona in the top of the seventh and had an exceptional performance, pitching the final three innings and recording seven strikeouts while allowing just one hit.
The Wildcats managed to get two runners on base over the final three innings but it was not enough.
Kramkowski, who did not factor in the decision, pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) with two strikeouts and three walks.
Elon transfer Nolan Staniero, who allowed four runs in 2/3 innings, took the loss.
Martinez pitched impressively, striking out seven with no walks while giving up only one hit in the last three innings.
Stanford reliever Cohen Gomez picked up the victory striking out four with no walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Arizona will return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it will face No. 12 Oregon State at Surprise Stadium. McEntire, a Peoria Mountain Ridge graduate, will go against his former team.
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