After losing 16-5 to Clemson on Saturday, Arizona completed a winless weekend at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, with a 13-1 loss to Louisville on Sunday. Arizona began the weekend with a 2-1 loss to Mississippi on Friday when it failed to score with runners on second and third in the ninth inning.
Arizona got off to a good start on Sunday. Shortstop Mason White hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman starting pitcher Smith Bailey pitched four innings, allowing three hits without a walk and five strikeouts in four innings before exiting.
Michael Hilker Jr. relieved Bailey and allowed eight runs, all earned on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout. The eight run inning by Louisville was the third time in 14 innings Arizona allowed seven or more runs. Clemson scored seven runs in the first inning and eight in the ninth on Saturday.
Arizona never recovered. Louisville added five more runs in the eighth inning and held the Wildcats in the bottom half to earn the run-rule victory. The home run by White was the only hit Arizona had on Sunday. Arizona finished the weekend with seven runs on 14 hits.
FINAL: Arizona 1, Louisville 13
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) February 16, 2025
Home opener is 2:00 PM MST this Tuesday at Hi Corbett Field
Six Louisville batters had multiple hits on Sunday, three had at least three hits and four had at least two RBIs. The middle of the Louisville lineup was 8-14 for six runs scored and two RBIs. Louisville's two through seven hitters had 15 hits in 29 at-bats with 10 RBIs on Sunday.
Arizona returns home to host New Mexico on Sunday and San Diego for a three-game series beginning on Friday. The Wildcats will return to Texas on February 28 for the 2025 Astros Foundation College Classic. Arizona will play SEC teams, number one Texas A&M, 18th ranked Mississippi State and number four Tennessee in Houston.