Arizona baseball drops back-and-forth Big 12 series to Utah on 2nd consecutive walk-off

The Utes ended up taking the Big 12-opening set, two games to one, via back-to-back walk-offs against a UA bullpen that couldn’t hold leads over the weekend in Salt Lake City.

Each game in the series either went to extra innings and/or was decided by one run. Each featured an Arizona rally in the ninth inning.

Utah (11-6, 2-1) rallied back Sunday, taking the finale 8-7 by scoring three runs in each of the final two innings. Arizona (7-12, 1-2) led 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, fell behind 5-4, surged ahead 7-5, but couldn’t seal the deal.

It was an unfortunate outcome for UA starter Luc Fladda, who exited with a two-run lead and two runners on base. Reliever Benton Hickman had no play on a chopper that made it 4-3. Utah then loaded the bases via a bunt single.

Matthew Martinez replaced Hickman and yielded a two-run single on an 0-2 fastball, putting Utah ahead.

The Wildcats were down to their last strike in the top of the ninth when Beau Sylvester lined an 0-2 pitch into the left-field corner for a game-tying double. Jackson Forbes followed with a two-RBI single to center to make it 7-5.

Martinez couldn’t find the plate in the bottom half, walking the first two batters he faced and hitting the third to load the bases with nobody out. Patrick Morris relieved him. A groundout plated a run and reduced Arizona’s lead to 7-6. Utah’s Jet Gilliam then singled to left, scoring two and ending the game. Gilliam went 3 for 5 with a home run and five RBIs.

Fladda ended up with a no-decision. He was charged with four runs on seven hits in seven-plus innings. He yielded his first walk of the season to Gilliam in the top of the first before settling in and, at one point, retiring 12 Utes in a row.

Sylvester and Tony Lira had two hits apiece. One of Lira’s was a 477-foot, two-run homer to center in the second inning that gave Arizona a 4-0 lead. The Wildcats didn’t score again until the ninth.

Arizona rallied for an 8-6 win in the opener Friday after trailing 6-2 entering the ninth inning. Freshman Caleb Danzeisen hit a tying three-run homer in the top of the ninth, the first home run of his career. The Wildcats scored the go-ahead runs in the 11th on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.

Garrett Hicks earned the win, pitching three scoreless innings. But Hicks, who’s taken over as Arizona’s closer with Tony Pluta (elbow) out for the season, threw 53 pitches, making him unavailable Sunday.

Arizona rallied again Saturday after Utah scored four first-inning runs against Smith Bailey. With the Wildcats down 5-4 in the ninth, Roman Meyers hit an RBI single to tie the score.

Arizona took the lead, 6-5, in the 10th on Forbes’ solo home run. But Utah scored two in the bottom half against Evan Brandt to win 7-6. The winning run scored after Cameron Gurney stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by Sylvester. Gurney scored on a groundball to third that Nate Novitske knocked down but couldn’t field cleanly. Gurney beat Novitske’s throw to the plate.

Arizona hosts New Mexico Tuesday night before facing Texas Tech in the first home conference series Friday-Sunday at Hi Corbett Field.

Inside pitch

– UA left-hander Maclain Roberts threw 3⅔ shutout innings Saturday to extend his scoreless streak to 12⅔ frames. Roberts has allowed five hits and two walks while striking out 17 batters.

– Senior Maddox Mihalakis went 5 for 13 against Utah and takes a six-game hitting streak into Tuesday. Mihalakis has raised his batting average to .211 after starting the season 4 for 50.

– Arizona started an all-freshman infield Saturday featuring Lira, Forbes, Cash Brennan and Novitske.