Tony Bullard was back. Arizona’s offense was not.
Despite the return of one of their most powerful hitters, the Wildcats scored only two runs for the second time in three games. No. 13 Arizona lost to Texas State 6-2 Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field, ending a six-game winning streak. The third and final game of the series is slated for 11 a.m. Sunday.
“Their pitchers were better than our hitters tonight. That's all,” said UA coach Chip Hale, whose team fell to 9-2. “Baseball, it's not a computer game. Sometimes the other guy just beats you. Tonight, they just beat us, plain and simple.”
Arizona struck out a season-high 16 times, including eight looking. Every player in the lineup aside from Tanner O’Tremba fanned at least once.
“Just gotta be able to pull the trigger,” Hale said. “Guys are getting opportunities right now to play. Obviously, if it continues, then you have to find somebody else.
“We put a lot of faith in these guys, and we give them a lot of leeway with their swings. Their pitchers were better. It's one game. Gotta win the series tomorrow. That's what it's about.”
It would be a stretch to say the Wildcats had been struggling offensively entering Saturday. Arizona had scored seven or more runs in eight of its first 10 games, and between seven and nine in four of its past five.
But the Wildcats had been striking out more than Hale would prefer, and there were signs of leakage. Arizona needed two late runs to squeak past Dixie State 2-1 on Tuesday. The Wildcats scored seven runs Friday but had only eight hits. Daniel Susac and O’Tremba combined for half of them; the rest of the lineup went 4 for 27.
Arizona’s best scoring opportunity against Texas State starter Levi Wells came in the fifth inning. Garen Caulfield led off with a single. A Nik McClaughry walk put runners on first and second with one out for the Wildcats’ two best hitters – O’Tremba and Susac.
O’Tremba flew out to right. Susac struck out swinging on a curveball in the dirt for the second time in the game.
Bullard, who had missed the first 10 games because of a shoulder injury, returned to the lineup a little earlier than expected. Hale had projected Bullard’s return, as a DH, for Tuesday against New Mexico. But when Jack Grant got hit with a grounder during pregame warmups and suffered a broken nose, Hale and his staff changed their plans.
Bullard finished last season on a hot streak. He hit safely in 10 of the final 11 games and had six home runs in a six-game stretch from May 28-June 11 that included four NCAA Tournament contests
When his shoulder is strong enough, Bullard will return to his usual spot at third base. But just having him available to hit makes the UA lineup that much deeper – in theory, anyway.
Bullard didn’t wait long to make his presence felt, swinging at the first pitch he saw from Wells in the second inning. Bullard sliced a single to right. He tried to stretch the hit into a double but got thrown out by Texas State right fielder John Wuthrich. Bullard slid head-first into second, a sign that his shoulder is sound.
Arizona was trailing 1-0 at that point, and the deficit grew to 4-0 through six. UA starter Garrett Irvin didn’t have his best stuff but posted a stat line that’s good enough to win at Hi Corbett on most nights: four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
The Wildcats finally scored in the seventh on O’Tremba’s two-RBI single to left – extending their streak of scoring at least one run to 183 games. But Susac followed by grounding into a double play, and Bullard struck out on three pitches.
Arizona put runners on first and third with two outs in the eighth. But Tristan Stivors struck out McClaughry looking with a curveball. The game ended with consecutive strikeouts by Chase Davis and Bullard.
The Wildcats were 3 of 22 (.136) with runners on base. They were 2 of 11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
“We obviously failed as coaches tonight,” Hale said. “We obviously didn't give them enough information on these guys, and I take the blame on that.”
Inside pitch
Hale wasn’t sure whether Bullard would be able to play Sunday in a game starting about 14 hours after Saturday’s game ended. Bullard went 1 for 5 in his 2022 debut.
UA centerfielder Mac Bingham entered Saturday batting .184. He singled in each of his final two at-bats to register his second multi-hit game of the season.
First baseman Noah Turley struck out in all four of his at-bats.
Arizona right-hander Dawson Netz (1-0, 2.16 ERA) is slated to start in the rubber match Sunday. He will face Texas State righty Tony Robie (1-0, 5.87).
