Arizona earned its second win this season with a 5-1 victory over 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt at the Live Like Lou College Baseball Classic in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Wildcats received a great start from Smith Bailey and had a four-run sixth inning to power the win.
Bailey pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Vanderbilt took the lead in the second inning when Chris Maldonado doubled home Ryker Waite. Vanderbilt had multiple runners on base in the third inning, but Bailey got out of the inning to keep the Arizona deficit at one run.
Bailey settled down and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. Arizona tied the game in the sixth inning when Maddox Mihalakis tripled to score Andrew Cain from second base. Mihalakis scored on a Jackson Forbes squeeze play to put Arizona ahead 2-1.
Nate Novitske, who had his second consecutive multi-hit game in Las Vegas, extended the Arizona lead to 4-1 with a two-run single. Novitske finished with three hits in five at-bats. Roman Meyers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to put Arizona ahead 5-1 and close the scoring.
Successful Saturday night ✔️ pic.twitter.com/uRQD40fl5c
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) March 1, 2026
Team relief effort closes game
Patrick Morris, Evan Brandt and Garrett Hicks allowed two hits and two walks with two strikeouts over the final three innings to close the game for Arizona. Alex Kranzler took the loss for Vanderbilt. Kranzler pitched one inning, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks with no strikeouts.
Arizona plays UC-Irvine on Sunday at 4:00 PM Mountain Time. If Arizona beats UC-Irvine and Vanderbilt defeats Oregon on Sunday, the Wildcats would win the Live Like Lou Classic. UC-Irvine beat Vanderbilt on Friday night and Oregon on Saturday. The Anteaters enter the game on Sunday with eight wins and three losses.