No. 14 Arizona again blasted by No. 6 Oregon State; Pac-12 title to be decided Saturday

Because of technical difficulties, the first half-inning of Friday’s Oregon State-Arizona game did not air on Pac-12 Networks.

If you’re a UA fan, you probably wish that the broadcast had remained dark.

No. 6 Oregon State dominated No. 14 Arizona for the second night in a row, defeating the Wildcats 16-1 in front of an announced crowd of 5,004 at Hi Corbett Field.

The outcome clinched the series for the Beavers, who have outscored the Wildcats 25-3. It also set up a winner-take-all finale for the Pac-12 regular-season championship.

The winner of Saturday night’s game will finish atop the league standings and take the No. 1 seed into next week’s conference tournament in Scottsdale. Arizona (32-20, 19-10 Pac-12) can finish anywhere from first to third depending on Saturday’s results here and in Eugene, Oregon, where Oregon (36-16, 18-11) is seeking to sweep Washington State and would leapfrog the UA if they finish with the same conference record.

Chip Hale said he wasn’t surprised to see the Wildcats stumble a bit down the stretch in a high-pressure situation. But he also couldn’t pinpoint what the problem was.

“That’s what I just asked them,” Hale said. “Is there something going on? We’ll try some different things to prepare ourselves for tomorrow.”

Arizona’s troubles started almost immediately. OSU star and Pac-12 Player of the Year shoo-in Travis Bazzana led off the game with a double. After a popout, third baseman Richie Morales and first baseman Andrew Cain committed errors, allowing Bazzana to score. Another run came in on a wild pitch.

“That was just completely unacceptable on defense,” Hale said. “You can’t put your pitcher behind the eight ball like that. He gives you groundballs, and we’re not making any plays.”

The Beavers (41-12, 19-9) added two more runs in the second against UA starter Clark Candiotti, who pitched better than his final line suggests. The inning featured a swinging-bunt single and a potential double play that the Wildcats failed to initiate. On that same play, Cain tossed the ball back to Candiotti, who lost it in the sun, enabling an OSU baserunner to advance to third and frustrating the fans who were hoping to see a better performance.

Because of the early errors, Candiotti had to throw 21 pitches in the first inning and lasted only five frames. He allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Arizona was forced to start Casey Hintz — primarily a pitcher — in center field with three outfielders unavailable because of injuries. With a weakened lineup, the Wildcats needed to excel in other facets of the game. Their defense was uncharacteristically sloppy (four errors; season-high five unearned runs), and the bullpen failed to keep the Beavers within striking distance (OSU scored four runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and three in the ninth).

Meanwhile, Arizona’s hitters again struggled to square up the ball. The Wildcats managed just six hits for the second straight game. They have only one extra-base hit (a Cain double on Thursday) in the series.

“These are young kids,” Hale said. “Maybe we’re pressing, maybe we’re tired, maybe we’re beat up. But that’s a good team across the way. They’re smelling blood, and they’re getting after us.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

“We’re gonna have to turn it around tomorrow. But it’s not going to be easy. They’re very hot right now.”

Arizona’s lackluster play gave off vibes of the New Mexico State game on March 26. The Wildcats trailed 9-1 and lost 12-9 to a team that isn’t in Oregon State’s stratosphere.

That game proved to be a turning point for the Wildcats, who went on a 11-game winning streak and had won 22 of 27 entering this series. They hadn’t lost two games in a row at home since March 15-16 vs. ASU.

Cam Walty, slated to start Saturday, has been a stopper for Arizona, posting an 8-1 record almost entirely in Sunday starts. The Wildcats need him to be at his best — and they need to play better behind him.

“We feel very confident in him,” Hale said. “We know he'll give us a shot. But we have to make the plays behind him. We can't continue to not make plays.

“If we make the plays that are presented to us — not the impossible plays but just routine plays — we should be in good shape.”

Inside pitch

• UA right fielder Emilio Corona, who exited Thursday’s game after his right hand was struck by a pitch, did not play. Hale declined to discuss Corona’s status. He had a wrap on his hand.

• Left fielder Easton Breyfogle (hamstring) is not expected to play Saturday. His backup, TJ Adams (shoulder), also is out.

• Tommy Splaine, normally a first baseman, recorded the final out in the top of the ninth. Splaine, who came to Arizona as a two-way player, allowed a walk before striking out Gavin Turley. Splaine made one previous pitching appearance as a Wildcat on Feb. 22, 2022.

• Nine UA players will participate in a Senior Night ceremony before Saturday’s regular-season finale.

• The Pac-12 Networks’ technical issues began Thursday, resulting in a one-camera broadcast with no replays. Friday’s game also had only one camera but did have replay capabilities.

Photos: Arizona gets roughed up 16-1 by Oregon State in the second game of their weekend series, Pac 12 baseball