The Arizona baseball team kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a comeback victory over Houston on Sunday.
Freshman catcher Joe Forbes snapped a tie with his first career home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Wildcats defeated the Cougars 6-5 in the 2026 home finale.
Arizona averted a sweep against last-place Houston, which would have surpassed the UA in the Big 12 standings with a win Sunday.
Arizona sits in 13th place among the 14 teams that play baseball in the conference with an 8-19 league record. The UA still could surpass Texas Tech (9-18) or Kansas State (10-17) but would need to not only win or sweep the final regular-season series at Oklahoma State (16-10 entering Sunday’s game at ASU) but get help from the teams in front of them.
Arizona dropped the series opener 7-4 on Friday and suffered a crushing 7-5 defeat in 13 innings Saturday night. The Wildcats had multiple chances to win the game in a walk-off — including a play at the plate that was upheld by replay — but couldn’t get it done.
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Arizona freshman Joe Forbes, left, celebrates his go-ahead home run in the eighth inning against Houston along with teammate Tony Lira on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona took a 4-0 lead through three innings Sunday, and that was the score when right-hander Evan Brandt exited midway through the fifth. Brandt made his first start as a Wildcat and allowed three hits and one walk while striking out two batters across five scoreless frames.
Reliever Matthew Martinez struggled in the top of the sixth, allowing five consecutive Cougars to reach base and two to score. Patrick Morris replaced Martinez and allowed a sacrifice fly and two-RBI bloop single, giving Houston a 5-4 lead. All five runs were charged to Martinez.
That set the stage for heroics by a senior and a freshman.
Senior third baseman Maddox Mihalakis, playing his last game at Hi Corbett Field, clubbed an RBI double to left field to score Beau Sylvester and tie the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth, Forbes hit a two-out, 412-foot homer over the wall in left on the ninth pitch of his at-bat against Houston’s Caleb Kimble.
Morris pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his second win of the season.
Photos: Arizona goes down 7-5 in 13 innings to Houston, Game 2 of their Big 12 series
Arizona catcher Beau Sylvester (18) is late with the tag as Houston’s Blake Fields (24) scores what turned out to be the winning run on Jackson LaLima’s (51) single in the top of the 13th inning as the Cougars edge the Wildcats 7-5, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Houston starter Paul Schmitz (27) eyes a little chopper back to the mound as Arizona’s Tony Lira (36) grounds out in the fourth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona shortstop Mathis Meurant (5) keeps his concentration as Houston runner Tre Broussard (3) sprints to third over a ball hit by teammate Xavier Perez (7) leaving three Cougars stranded in the eighth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona starter Luc Fladda (24) delivers to Houston in the fourth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026. Went six innings, giving up a single run.
Houston’s Tyler Cox (11) easily beats the pick-off throw to Arizona shortstop Mathis Meurant (5) in the fifth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona’s Cash Brennan (13) makes the big gesture to the dugout after he stretched his RBI single to get to second in the fifth inning against Houston, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona’s Carson McEntire (4) comes to the dugout happy as his two run homer put the Wildcats up 4-1 over Houston in the fifth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona’s Tony Lira (36) slides back into second as Houston shortstop Tyler Cox (11) gets the pickoff throw late in the sixth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Houston’s Cade Climie (12) trots around the bases after mashing a three-RBI homer to tie the game at four in the seventh inning against Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona catcher Beau Sylvester (18) puts the tag on Houston runner Xavier Perez (7) after Blake Fields (24) missed his bunt on a suicide squeeze in the seventh inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona reliever Garrett Hicks (99) gives out a big yell celebrating his strike out to strand the winning Cougar run at third in the Houston half of the tenth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona’s Cash Brennan (13) slams into Houston catcher Riley Jackson (4) short of the plate trying to score the game winner from third on a dribbler up the first base line in the 11th inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona shortstop Mathis Meurant (5) has a bead on a lazy hopper from Houston’s Riley Jackson (4) in the thirteenth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona left fielder Andrew Cain’s (3) dive comes up inches short of a slicing liner by Houston hitter Riley Jackson (4) in the sixth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona third baseman Cash Brennan (13) gloves a towering pop-up by Houston batter Tre Broussard (3) in the fifth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona first baseman Tony Lira (36) charges a weak bunt up the line by Houston’s Tyler Cox (11) in the seventh inning that went for a base hit, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026. Cox
Arizona third baseman Cash Brennan (13) cuts in front of shortstop Mathis Meurant (5) but can’t grab a roller in the hole by Houston’s Xavier Perez (7) in the seventh inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona second baseman Nate Novitske (47) draws a bead on a routine grounder hit by Houston batter Antonelli Savattere (21) in the eleventh inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona second baseman Nate Novitske (47) and first baseman Tony Lira (36) come up short chasing a blooper by Houston’s Blake Fields (24) in the eleventh inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Houston centerfielder Tre Broussard (3) stands under an easy fly ball by Arizona’s Dom Rodriguez (27), the first of three consecutive fly ball outs to centerfield to end the game in the thirteenth inning of the Cougar’s 7-5 win, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Arizona head coach Chip Hale, right, assistant Sean Kenny and grad assistant Karen Caulfield gather for a strategy session on a Houston pitching change in the eighth inning of their Big 12 game, Tucson, Ariz., May 9, 2026.
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social
Michael Lev
Sports Reporter/Columnist
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