Strange things have happened the past two seasons when Arizona meets Washington State on a Friday.
Last year in Pullman, the Cougars walloped the Wildcats 21-2 – the most lopsided loss of the Jay Johnson era.
Fast-forward 12 months. New coach. Largely different cast of characters. Same unexpected outcome.
Washington State — which had lost 11 of its past 12 games — handed it to No. 10 Arizona in the opener of a three-game series at Hi Corbett Field. The Cougars defeated the Wildcats 11-5 in front of an announced crowd of 3,420.
It was Arizona’s second straight loss on the heels of a four-game winning streak. The defeat dropped the Wildcats (21-9, 9-4 Pac-12) to 11-6 at home. They’re 10-3 in games played on the road or at neutral sites.
UA coach Chip Hale spoke to the team only briefly afterward, signaling that it was time to move on to Saturday after an off night.
“Everybody thinks there's this magic pill that we can give them. There isn’t. We just got our butt kicked tonight,” Hale said. “We gotta come back tomorrow, and hopefully we’ll win. But you never know. We went to Washington and won three. Who knows what's gonna happen? We just play the best we can tomorrow and let the chips fall where they may.”
Although they can’t undo the damage done to their RPI, the Wildcats still can win the series — which is exactly what they did last year against the Cougars. Many members of the 2021 squad pointed to that 21-2 defeat as the turning point of the season. It was Arizona’s third loss in a row. The Wildcats then went on a 10-game winning streak and advanced to the College World Series.
Veteran left-hander Garrett Irvin, one of the key contributors to that team, will start for Arizona on Saturday.
“He'll go out there and do the best he can,” Hale said. “We'll play the best we can behind him and see what happens.”
Arizona's Noah Turley celebrates after smacking a grand slam in the first inning against Washington State at Hi Corbett Field.
UA starter TJ Nichols had little trouble getting through the first two innings. He hit two batters in the second, but those were the only Cougars to reach base.
After a leadoff single and a flyout to start the third, Nichols lost his control. He walked three consecutive batters, the third driving in a run. Three straight singles plated four more runs, giving WSU (11-18, 3-10) a 5-4 lead.
Nichols’ issues continued in the fourth. He surrendered back-to-back doubles, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Hale summoned Quinn Flanagan from the bullpen. Two singles and a sacrifice fly scored three runs to make it 8-4.
Seven of the runs were charged to Nichols, and all of them were earned. It was his shortest outing of the season (three-plus innings), and he struck out only one batter, easily a season low. Nichols had pitched at least 5 1/3 innings in each of his previous six appearances. He had struck out at least five batters in each of his first seven starts.
Nichols — a sophomore projected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft — hadn’t allowed more than four earned runs in any start this season. His fastball had its usual pop, consistently registering in the mid-90s on the stadium scoreboard. But once he lost his command in the third, he wasn’t able to get it back.
“He just didn’t throw enough strikes,” Hale said.
The game started out with a bang for Arizona. Noah Turley hit a grand slam in the first inning, giving the Wildcats a 4-0 lead. Turley fouled off four pitches with two strikes, then hit the eighth pitch of the at-bat 456 feet over the batter’s eye in center field. It was Turley’s first career grand slam and sixth home run of the season.
Arizona managed only one more run, in the sixth, against WSU starter Cole McMillan, who entered Friday with a 7.08 ERA. The Wildcats’ first four batters went a combined 0 for 17.
“They obviously weren't up to par for what they've done this year,” Hale said. “But every now and then you have a bad night, and they did.”
Inside pitch
- UA left-hander Javyn Pimental got hit in the right arm by a line drive in the seventh inning. After being attended to by a trainer, Pimental was able to stay in the game.
- Second baseman Garen Caulfield had three of the Wildcats’ seven hits, including an RBI double in the sixth.
- Right-hander Jonathan Guardado was the only UA pitcher who didn’t allow a run. He yielded only one hit in two innings, striking out three.
- Arizona struck out only four times, tying its season low.
- Irvin (3-1, 2.40 ERA) will face WSU righty Grant Taylor (2-3, 4.11) in Game 2.
Photos: University of Arizona falls to Washington State 11-5
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Arizona's right fielder Tanner O'Tremba (44) comes up inches short of chasing down a hit to the wall by Washington State's Elijah Hainline (8) that ended up a double and runners at second and third in the fourth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's Noah Turley (33) smacking a grand slam in the first inning against Washington State at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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The home plate ump punches out Washington State's Elijah Hainline (8) after he tried to score from third on a grounder to Arizona's shortstop Nik McClaughry (11) in the seventh inning keeping the score at 11-5 Cougars in their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Washington State's centerfielder Kyler Stancato (12) dives to reel in a sinking liner by Arizona's Mac Bingham (7) in the second inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's starter TJ Nichols (25) throws against Washington State in the first inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's third baseman Tony Bullard (3) runs down a slow grounder by Washington State's Kodie Kolden (23) to start the first out of the night in their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's first baseman Tommy Splaine (20) gets a generous hop from dying looper by Washington State's Jack Smith (5) to end the Cougar first in their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's Nik McClaughry (11) comes back to the box to where Washington State's catcher Jake Meyer (34) has left his bat upright for him following a long foul ball at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's left fielder Chase Davis (5) short hops a liner by Washington State's Justin Van De Brake (29) for a single in the fifth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's pitcher Javyn Pimental (43) throws against Washington State in the sixth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's Garen Caulfield (1) has a gesture for his teammates after slapping an RBI double against Washington State in the sixth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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Arizona's infielder Nik McClaughry (11) scoops a up a gentle grounder by Washington State's Jack Smith (5) for the second out in the Cougar half of the ninth inning of their Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
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A member of the Davis-Monthan base color guard calls out the orders to begin the team's presentation of the colors before Arizona's game against Washington State and kicking off Military Appreciation Weekend at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., April 8, 2022.
