Arizona scored a season-high nine runs and had its second consecutive 12-hit game to outlast Fresno State, earning a 9-5 series-securing victory Saturday in Hi Corbett Field.
One night after Owen Kramkowski threw a career-high 12 strikeouts in six shutout innings, Smith Bailey dealt a career-high nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings, the most innings pitched by Bailey in 22 starts.
filthy.@smithbaileyyy with his NINTH strikeout pic.twitter.com/viukMkofPE
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 8, 2026
Arizona coach Chip Hale likes to see competition between his pitchers.
“The starters start to feed off each other so Kram with a good outing, then Smith stacks it and now we get (Luc) Fladda again tomorrow (Sunday) has a nice one — I think they get a little competition in there, that’s good.” Hale said.
Bailey agrees with his coach.
“I do think I feed off him (Kramkowski),” he said. “I like to watch him throw because I can take a lot of stuff that he does and just take it into today. Like yesterday, I saw what they (Fresno State) could and couldn’t hit and I was just like I’m going to do that again today and it worked out.”
The first series win of the season didn’t come without its challenges.
While Bailey held Fresno State scoreless through seven innings, relievers Patrick Morris and Evan Brandt struggled, allowing a Bulldogs’ eighth-inning rally that cut the Wildcats’ lead from 6-0 to 6-5 before Garrett Hicks came in to get the final out.
“Some nights, whether you’re a hitter or a pitcher, a catcher, doesn’t matter, you just don’t have it,” Hale said. “Patrick and Evan tonight just didn’t have it and that’s okay. That’s fine. They learn from it and get back out there Tuesday against ASU.”
Arizona put together its own three-run rally in the bottom of the inning to give the Wildcats a four-run cushion headed to the ninth.
Hicks returned to the mound in the ninth inning to close it out for the Wildcats and get his first save this season. The win was Bailey’s second of the season.
Arizona’s first run came in the second inning off of a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from TJ Adams that plated Maddox Mihalakis, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats added another run in the bottom of the sixth when a Tyler Bickers single to left field sent Adams home.
Arizona added to its lead, scoring four runs in the seventh inning.
After Tony Lira fouled out to first base, Andrew Cain walked. Mihalakis’ second double of the night to right-center gave Cain enough time to score from first.
A Roman Meyers single scored Mihalakis to put Arizona up 4-0.
With Meyers sitting on second, Carson McEntire hit his third home run of the season to increase the Wildcats’ lead to 6-0.
TURN US UP, CARSON
That's a two-run shot to left field and it's a 6-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/7qpphWK3J0
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 8, 2026
Former Arizona outfielder Zach Plasschaert, who played at Pima College last season, hit a double to right. The ball rolled into the corner, allowing Fresno State’s final two runs.
Plasschaert was on the Arizona roster in 2024 before transferring to Pima for the 2025 season.
Arizona got three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Nate Novitske hit a double followed by a Lira single. Novitske scored on a fielder’s error.
The final two runs of the game came off of a Mihalakis single that brought home Lira and Cain, who had singled in the at-bat prior to Mihalakis. Arizona had a 9-5 lead that would hold for the win.
Stats Roundup
Mihalakis had three hits and drove in three runs while scoring twice in five at-bats.
Tyler Bickers had one hit and drove in one run.
Lira went 2 for 5 bring in one run and scored once.
Meyers was 1 for 3, drove in one run and scored once.
Adams reached base three times. A hit by pitch, a walk and a textbook bunt. He drove in one run on a sacrifice fly.
Up Next:
Arizona and Fresno State will return to Hi Corbett for the third game of the series Sunday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.
Game Extra:
Arizona outfielder Chaz McNelis‘ son Grayson, known as Baby G, threw out the first pitch on Kids’ Night in Hi C. Baby G has become an internet sensation since McNelis started posting about Baby G’s journey with a D1 college baseball player as a dad on social media.
lil dude threw a STRIKE @cmcnelis41 pic.twitter.com/adl9nJMcG1
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) March 8, 2026
Saturday night was also LEGO give away night. The media team created a game day picture for McNelis and Baby G.
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