A record crowd at Hi Corbett Field waited for a late-inning comeback that never came.
And now Arizona’s road through the Tucson Regional becomes that much harder.
The host Wildcats, who’ve won eight games by walk-off this season, fell behind Grand Canyon on Friday night and couldn’t catch up. No. 13 overall seed Arizona lost 9-4 to GCU in the NCAA Tournament opener for both in front of an announced crowd of 8,798 — the most to see a UA game at Hi Corbett.
“They came out. They showed up. Unfortunately, we didn't play good baseball for them,” said UA coach Chip Hale, who’s 0-3 in regional openers. “They were cheering, they were doing everything they could to help us, so we appreciate that. I just feel bad we didn't play better.”
The Wildcats dropped into the losers’ bracket, where they’ll face Dallas Baptist in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+). GCU will face West Virginia at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers defeated the Patriots 4-1 earlier Friday.
Arizona left fielder Easton Breyfogle (12) slides in to snare a bloop fly by Grand Canyon batter Tyler Wilson (4) in the third inning of their game in the NCAA Regionals, May 31, 2024, Tucson, Ariz.
The evening matchup between Arizona and GCU was their fourth this season. The Antelopes have won three out of four, including two of three in Tucson.
GCU won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in program history after getting into the tourney via something of a loophole: Tarleton State won the WAC Tournament but wasn’t eligible for the NCAA Tournament because it’s still reclassifying from Division II to Division I.
“We've been mentioning that a lot this week: We're playing with house money,” said GCU right fielder Eddy Pelc, who went 2 for 3 with four RBIs. “And I think there definitely was some familiarity with playing U of A, so we had a ton of confidence coming in.”
UA pitchers walked seven batters, nearly triple their nation-best average of 2.50 per nine innings. Seven of GCU’s nine leadoff hitters reached base, and six of them scored.
Although they weren’t charged with any errors, the Wildcats failed to make some plays on defense that could have altered the outcome.
Arizona starter Clark Candiotti (44) throws in the first inning against Grand Canyon in the NCAA Regionals, May 31, 2024, Tucson, Ariz. The Wildcats dropped the opener to the Lopes 9-4.
“We did not play our best defense tonight,” Hale said. “That's disappointing to me because I'm a defensive coach. It's important to me where we throw the ball. We threw one ball in the middle of field. I've never seen us do anything like that.”
UA starter Clark Candiotti didn’t have his usual pinpoint form, especially early in the game. To wit: GCU leadoff batter Tyler Wilson hit a solo home run on the second pitch of the game.
The Lopes made it 2-0 in the second, a rally that started with a hit-by-pitch and ended with a safety squeeze.
Arizona responded and took the lead, 3-2, in the bottom half. The inning featured a dropped third strike, two infield singles, a bases-loaded walk and blooper to right that was scored a fielder’s choice.
The first infield hit was a 99-mph one-hopper hit by Richie Morales that caromed off the right leg of GCU starter Grant Richardson. Richardson had to be tended to by a trainer, walked the next two batters but was able to remain in the game through the sixth, throwing a career-high 110 pitches.
Arizona right fielder Emilio Corona slams into the wall chasing Grand Canyon batter Tyler Wilson’s solo homer that just cleared the fence in the top of the first inning.
The Lopes recaptured the lead in the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Candiotti got too much of the plate with a 1-2 pitch. Pelc smacked it into center field. Brendan Summerhill took a false step in, and the ball sailed over his head for a bases-clearing double and a 5-3 GCU advantage.
With the score 6-4, Arizona had the go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. But Maddox Mihalakis struck out to end the inning.
GCU stretched its lead to 7-4 in the eighth and tacked on two more in the ninth, putting the game out of reach.
Arizona will send Cam Walty to the mound Saturday afternoon in the first of what it hopes is four straight do-or-die games. Walty pitched superbly in the games that clinched the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles, and the Wildcats have never lost a game he’s started at Hi Corbett Field.
“It should give us confidence,” Hale said. “He's pitched great all year. He's been kind of our stopper.
“He's gonna give us a chance. But we're gonna have to play better behind him. And we're gonna have to swing the bats better.”
Arizona center fielder Brendan Summerhill (4) takes a moment to himself in the out field grass before the Wildcats take on Grand Canyon in the NCAA Regionals, May 31, 2024, Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona was in a must-win situation at the end of the regular season to win the Pac-12 and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The Wildcats also had to win that tournament to earn one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Saturday will be their first win-or-go-home game of the season.
“When we were in the chase for the conference title, we were constantly in that position,” shortstop Mason White said. “I think this group has got a really good feeling of just playing furiously and playing with your back against the wall. So we're not scared. We gotta fall back on what we've done in the cage and what we did all fall on the field and just play good baseball.”
Grand Canyon’s Tyler Wilson gestures skyward after knocking a solo homer on the game’s second pitch Friday.
Inside pitch
• Senior right fielder Emilio Corona (hand) returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 16. Hale said Corona is not 100%. “He’s not going to be 100% until next (season),” Hale said. “He's battling, doing the best he can.” Corona went 0 for 3 with one RBI.
• Friday’s attendance marked the second time Arizona eclipsed 8,000 fans for a game at Hi Corbett. The previous record was 8,067 vs. ASU on May 14, 2016.
• As he often does, former UA great Terry Francona attended the game. He also recorded a congratulatory message for the team that was played during the ESPN+ broadcast.
• Arizona failed to score a run in the first inning for the ninth consecutive game.
The Star's Justin Spears and Michael Lev look back on Arizona baseball's run to the Pac-12 championship, and look ahead to the Tucson Regional this weekend at Hi Corbett Field. How does the UA stack up with GCU, Dallas Baptist and West Virginia? Plus, looking back on the life and legacy of Bill Walton, who died earlier this week at 71 years old, and exchanging funny stories about Mr. Conference of Champions.
