The Arizona baseball team beat San Diego 5-4 in the second game of a three-game series Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field on outfielder Aaron Walton‘s walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“It felt good,” said Arizona coach Chip Hale. “It’s a little bit reminiscent of last year where we lose the lead at the end and battle back and win in the bottom of the ninth, which is a great sign.”
Arizona (3-3) led 4-1 going into the ninth inning but was unable to get the final three outs as catcher Nico Libed delivered a two-run single off of Arizona reliever Julian Tonghini.
Garrett Hicks (1-0) came in to get the final out of the inning and was rewarded with the win.
“Got to learn to be able to shut down in the ninth inning,” said Hale.
Walden Grove alumni Owen Kramkowski started for Arizona, going five innings and allowing one run.
“It feels amazing. It gets confidence back, gets the team going,” Kramkowski said of his start.
Kramkowski struggled in his first start of the season against Clemson, throwing only 2/3 of inning and allowing seven runs.
“It’s one bad outing; you can’t get too emotionally attached to it, ” Kramkowski said.
Kramkowski gave up an RBI single in the first inning to San Diego’s Isaiah Lane but did not surrender a run afterward.
“Really proud of him,” Hale said of Kramkowski. “He did a better job of mixing with his stuff to throw strikes for other pitches and moving the fastball up, down and around.”
Arizona was able to tie the game at 1 in the bottom of the third inning when outfielder Brendan Summerhill reached on an infield single off San Diego pitcher Logan Reddemann.
Reddemann is the reigning WCC Freshman of the Year and a 2024 NCBWA Freshman Second Team All-American and 2024 All-WCC First Team selection.
Third baseman Mathis Meurant gave Arizona a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a solo home run that traveled 421 feet. Meurant, who was born and grew up in France, hit his first home run as a Wildcat.
“I had a good pitch down the middle and just trying to hit it as hard as I can,” Meurant said.
First baseman Tommy Splaine extended the Arizona lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before shortstop Mason White (Salpointe grad) hit an RBI double to make it 4-1 in the seventh.
In the ninth inning, Meurant and Summerhill were able to hit back-to-back singles to set up Walton for the walk-off hit.
The series wraps up Sunday at noon with Arizona looking for the series sweep and a winning record.
San Diego is 0-6 with all six losses coming to Big 12 teams — four at home against TCU last week and the two losses against Arizona at Hi Corbett this weekend.
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