CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Call it the Chip exhale.
Arizona coach Chip Hale entered the media room at Alex Rodriguez Park and let out a sigh of relief. His Wildcats had just survived a comeback by Canisius, holding off the Golden Griffins 7-5 Sunday in an elimination game in the NCAA Tournament’s Coral Gables Regional.
“You just never stop sweating here,” Hale said.
It was unclear whether he meant that literally or figuratively.
Arizona — which was to face No. 6-seeded Miami in another elimination game later Sunday — led Canisius 6-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning. The Griffins scored twice in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to make it a one-run game.
The Wildcats’ defense and bullpen came through in a big way in the late innings, complementing an offense that pounded four home runs.
“I just want to tip my cap to Canisius,” Hale said after recording his first NCAA Tournament win as UA coach. “They played their tails off both games. They were very good today in a tough situation — an early game, hot as could be. They battled us to the end.
“I’m very proud of our team for coming out after not getting much sleep and just being tough and battling and doing whatever it took to win the game.”
Arizona’s loss to Ole Miss on Saturday began at 10:13 p.m. local time. It ended at 1:19 a.m. The Wildcats arrived at the ballpark less than eight hours later to begin warming up for the Griffins.
After defeating Canisius, the team returned to its hotel to shower, do laundry and possibly catch a quick nap. The Cats were scheduled to get back on the bus at 5:15 p.m. for their third game in less than 24 hours.
“If you can’t be ready for a game in the playoffs ... I don’t know,” said shortstop Nik McClaughry, who hit a three-run homer and started a critical double play. “It’s the playoffs. Time to win.”
Despite the quick turnaround and early start, Arizona came out ready to play.
McClaughry walked to lead off the game — matching the number of unintentional walks from Saturday night — and scored on Chase Davis’ two-run homer to right. It was the second home run in as many games for Davis, whose status was in question for this weekend because of a shoulder injury.
Senior Blake Paugh, inserted into the lineup at DH against left-hander Chris Pouliot, hit a solo homer in the second to make it 3-0. Paugh hit another solo shot in the seventh.
McClaughry doubled Arizona’s output in the fourth inning, smacking a three-run homer to left-center to make it 6-1. The junior bounced back in a big way Sunday morning after striking out in all four of his at-bats vs. Ole Miss.
“I have a pretty good process once I leave the field: That game is done,” McClaughry said. “So I’ll go through that now and be ready to play tonight.”
The Golden Griffins proved to be pesky, however. They also took advantage of numerous self-inflicted wounds by the UA pitching staff. Canisius scored two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth to make it 6-5 and had the tying run on second base. Reliever George Arias Jr. struck out Mike Steffan looking to end the threat.
Arias and Quinn Flanagan combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings to finish the game. Flanagan earned his first save of the season. Their experience and maturity clearly made a difference. Freshman Eric Orloff struggled after relieving starter TJ Nichols, just as redshirt freshman Javyn Pimental did Saturday night.
“It’s tough for those young pitchers,” Hale said. “It’s not the hits, it’s the walks, it’s the hit batsmen (where) they end up getting into big trouble in college baseball. We can handle the hits.
“It’s good experience for them. And guess what? They’re gonna be back out there (Sunday night). So hopefully that experience will help.”
Nichols put together his second straight solid postseason start after a rough ending to the regular season. He allowed three earned runs on five hits in five innings. He walked two batters and struck out four. He also threw two wild pitches and hit three batters. Nichols leads the team in both categories with 13 apiece.
A defensive gem got Nichols out of major trouble in the fifth. With the score 6-3, one out and the bases loaded, McClaughry speared a one-hopper off the bat of Gibson Krzeminski. McClaughry fell onto his backside but was able to fire a strike through his legs to second baseman Garen Caulfield to initiate an inning-ending double play.
“You don’t really think when that happens,” McClaughry said. “The ball was hit pretty hard. So I had to take a step back and catch it like this. (McClaughry leaned back and lifted his hands toward his right shoulder.)
“I just remember throwing it and ... hopefully I threw it right to second. If not, it might have gone into right field.”
McClaughry’s throw to Caulfield couldn’t have been placed any better.
“He’s the best shortstop in the country,” Paugh said. “We expect it.”
Paugh’s second home run gave Arizona a two-run lead. Arias then struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
Flanagan entered with two outs in the eighth and stranded a runner on third. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Hale didn’t rule out Flanagan pitching again against the host Hurricanes in the late game Sunday.
“Everything’s possible at this point,” Hale said. “It’s tough-guy time.”
