Arizona did a lot of things right in its series opener against Arizona State on Friday night.
The Wildcats did just enough things wrong to drop Game 1 of the three-game set.
Arizona lost to ASU 6-5 in front of a season-high crowd of 6,370 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Wildcats allowed only seven hits against one of the best offensive teams in the Pac-12, and three UA pitchers didn't allow a single walk. They also had 15 baserunners and forced ASU starter Ross Dunn to throw more than 100 pitches in less than five innings.
But UA starter TJ Nichols hit two batters and allowed two home runs to Luke KeaschallΒ β a two-run blast in the first inning that erased Arizona's 2-0 lead and a three-run shot in the third that put the Sun Devils ahead 5-2.
First base was open with two outs when Keaschall came to bat in the third inning. He already had homered and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week last week. UA coach Chip Hale said during the Pac-12 Networks broadcast that he should have walked Keaschall. The next batter, Jacob Tobias, grounded out to third.
Arizona (13-7, 3-4 Pac-12) has lost four of its past five games. ASU (14-8, 3-1) has won eight of its past nine.
With the score 6-3 in the seventh, Arizona's Garen Caulfield hit a solo home run. The second baseman was 3 for 3 with a team-high three RBIs.
Kiko Romero hit a solo shot high off the batter's eye in center field with two outs in the ninth. But Cameron LaLiberte struck out to end the game.
Nichols was charged with six runs, five of which were earned, in six innings. He had seven strikeouts.
ASU had only two at-bats with runners in scoring position but got hits both times.
Game 2 of the series is slated for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Japan comes out victorious in a 3-2 win over the United States during the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday.
