A day after its late-inning rally came up short, the No. 24 Wildcats baseball team pounced on Houston early and built a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a 9-4 victory Sunday.
Arizona scored four times in the final two innings at Houston on Saturday, but couldn't overcome six early runs by the Cougars as UA lost 9-7. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Wildcats flipped the script.
Arizona (6-2) scored twice in the first inning, as freshman righty Bryce Collins pitched into the fourth for the Wildcats until he allowed his first run. But UA erupted for seven in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach.
Matt Frazier kept a hot bat with his fifth hit and fourth run over his last 10 at-bats. He finished 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs. Nick Quintana was 2 for 4 with two runs and a pair of RBIs.
Five Wildcats reached base multiple times, including Austin Wells (1 for 2 with three walks), Matthew Dyer (1 for 4 with a walk), and Tate Soderstrom (1 for 1 with two walks).
George Arias Jr., Vince Vannelle and Avery Weems combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief for Arizona. Zach Sherman (1-0) earned the win after pitching 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on three hits. All of Houston's damage against Sherman came in the seventh inning.
The Wildcats return to action Wednesday at Hi Corbett Field to face the New Mexico Lobos.
