Arizona dropped its series opener against UConn 6-4 in extra innings, remaining winless to start the season, on Thursday night at Hi Corbett Field.
“I feel bad for alumni. I feel bad for the student body. This is on me,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said about the 0-5 start. “We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and find out a way we can win some games.”
UConn (1-4) avoided a 0-5 start to the season.
In the top of the second, left fielder and Ironwood Ridge graduate Andrew Cain lost the ball in the sky, leading to a double for UConn’s leadoff hitter Maddix Dalena. The outfield woes continued two batters later, when Nate Wachter hit a fly ball in between right and center field, causing Easton Breyfogle and Caleb Danzeisen to collide, leading to a triple and Dalena scoring, giving UConn the 1-0 lead.
In that collison, Breyfogle reinjured the same shoulder that caused him to miss the first three games of the season, forcing him to leave the game and be replaced by Carson McEntire. He will have an MRI on Friday.
Left-handed pitcher Luc Fladda hit the next batter, Connor Lane, putting runners at the corners with only one out. Arizona limited the damage to one run, getting a double play to end the inning.
Anthony Belisario hit a single to start the sixth, but advanced to second on a fielding error by Danzeisen. Rob Rispoli hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Belisario to third. After a strikeout, Hale made a call to the bullpen, bringing in Evan Brandt to get the final out.
That move proved costly for the Wildcats. Brandt gave up a double with Jackson Marshall hitting it right-center, bringing Belisario home. Dalena added to the Huskies’ lead, hitting a single to left center to score Dalena, giving UConn a 3-0 lead.
In Arizona’s half of the sixth inning, with two outs, Beau Sylvester hit a double through the left side of the infield, scoring Cain from second, cutting their deficit to 3-1.
An inning later, Arizona, again with two outs, tied up the game with back-to-back doubles from Maddox Mihalakis and Cain, scoring both Mathis Meurant and Mihalakis.
Relief pitcher Benton Hickman hit Rispoli, intentionally walked Marshall, and walked Dalena, loading the bases in the top of the eighth with one out for Peyton Jemison. Hickman got out of the jam by striking out Jemison on a full count and Wachter on three pitches, keeping the score at 3-3.
Both teams went back and forth, posting scoreless innings until the top of the 12th, when Rispoli and Menzel hit singles with two outs, putting themselves at the corners. Marshall broke up the tie with a single up the middle to bring in Rispoli.
To add some cushioning for the Huskies, Delana hits a bases-clearing single, scoring Menzel and pinch runner Chase McCombs-Taylor.
With one out remaining in the bottom of the 12th, Tony Lira hit a single to third base, bouncing off the third baseman, taking it out of play and advancing him to second.
McEntire doubled to deep left field, bringing in Lira, making the score 6-4. After McEntire scored, Sylvester struck out swinging, ending the game.
“We’re not playing winning baseball, that’s just the way it goes,” Hale said.
The Wildcats look to get their first win of the season Friday at 6 p.m. in the second of four games against UConn at Hi Corbett Field. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
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