Before last weekend, Chip Hale never had coached in a Pac-12 Conference game. But the Arizona player-turned-Wildcats coach knew what it would take to win.
Hale preached the importance of fundamentally sound baseball. After that series at Cal, Hale remarked: “When you play good teams ... you can't make mistakes. You’ve got to make them earn everything.”
No. 17 Arizona barely made any mistakes in the opener of a three-game series against No. 10 Stanford on Saturday. The Cardinal made several. That was the biggest reason the Wildcats were able to rally for a 3-2 victory in front of a season-high crowd of 4,330 at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona’s Pac-12 home opener was essentially the opposite of the league opener last Friday in Berkeley. The Wildcats imploded in the ninth inning and allowed the Golden Bears to walk them off.
“It was a tough one at Cal last Friday night,” said Hale, whose team won its fourth in a row to improve to 14-4, 3-1 in the Pac-12. “I told them at some point we're going to get a game where we put the pressure on another team, and they're going to make some mistakes. We got it back tonight.”
Stanford (9-6, 1-3) committed three errors, leading to two unearned runs – including the go-ahead run. The Cardinal should have scored the tying run in the ninth inning on a groundout to shortstop, but pinch runner Owen Cobb decided to hold at third even though Arizona’s middle infielders were playing back.
That set up the dramatic conclusion.
With Cobb on third, Carter Graham on second and one out, pinch hitter Austin Kretzschmar hit a shallow fly ball to right-center off reliever Trevor Long. Center fielder Mac Bingham caught the ball on the run and fired a two-hopper to catcher Daniel Susac, who tagged out Cobb for a game-ending double play.
“We knew Long was going to go in there and throw strikes,” Bingham said. “So I just told the guys, ‘Hey, expect something.’ I looked into our coaches to make sure we could hum this home, because I did make a mistake earlier (in the season) going home one time.
“I got a ball that I had my momentum going forward and let it go. And Dan made a good tag.”
Bingham couldn’t throw in the fall because of a shoulder injury. He started a throwing program after winter break.
“Before the season started, I felt 100%,” Bingham said. “So far, it's been good. So let’s keep it going.”
UA starter TJ Nichols watched it all unfold from the dugout. Nichols had pitched into the ninth inning, nearly matching equally brilliant Stanford ace Alex Williams.
“My heart was pounding so fast,” Nichols said. “It was one of the best wins I’ve ever been a part of.”
Nichols pitched a career-high eight innings. The sophomore allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out a eight batters. He didn’t walk a single hitter – the first time he’s done that while pitching five or more innings in his UA career.
“He did a great job,” Hale said. “He mixed his pitches, he threw his changeup well to the lefties. He made a few mistakes, and they made him pay. But he was wonderful.
“He's a Friday-night starter – or the first-night starter – in the Pac 12 for a reason. We count on him.”
Nichols accounted for one half of a pitchers’ duel befitting of a Friday night in the Pac-12. It just so happened to take place on a Saturday because of Stanford’s academic schedule.
Williams shut out Arizona for six-plus innings and allowed only one unearned run in seven frames.
Williams yielded just three hits and two walks (a season high) and struck out 10 batters. But he needed 117 pitches to work his way through a lineup that had averaged 11.2 runs in its previous five games. That forced Stanford to go its bullpen in the eighth
Garen Caulfield led off the inning with a double to right-center off reliever Joey Dixon. After Nik McClaughry popped out to second, Daniel Susac reached on an error.
Tanner O’Tremba then singled to right against another reliever, Tommy O’Rourke. Stanford couldn’t execute the relay throw home, and Caulfield scored to tie the score at 2-2.
After Chase Davis lined out to left, Tommy Splaine hit a slow roller to the left side. Stanford third baseman Drew Bowser had no play at first and wisely whirled around toward third. Susac had rounded the bag and was caught between third and home. But Bowser made an errant throw, allowing Susac to score the go-ahead run.
“Pac-12 baseball, it's always ramped up no matter who you're playing,” Bingham said. “Stanford's got a great team, a great pitching staff. Obviously, last year it didn't go our way with them. (Arizona lost three of four vs. Stanford, including an elimination game in the College World Series.)
“We played clean baseball. The team that makes less mistakes obviously has a better chance of coming out (ahead). Small things lead to big things.”
Inside pitch
Arizona completed a season-high four double plays, including three in the first four innings.
Caulfield was the only Wildcat to register more than one hit. Arizona’s six hits represented its third-lowest total of the season.
Arizona had to postpone a celebration of the 2012 national-championship team because former UA coach Andy Lopez had a scheduling conflict. It has been rescheduled for May 13 vs. Oregon State.
Game 2 Sunday will pit a pair of left-handers against each other – Quinn Mathews (2-1, 3.80 ER) vs. Garrett Irvin (2-1, 3.32).
