Arizona baseball refused to go quietly into the offseason. In a dramatic ninth-inning rally Thursday night, the Wildcats kept their postseason hopes alive with a 7-4 victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
Facing long odds to make the Big 12 Tournament, Arizona (19-32, 9-19) showed championship fight when it mattered most. The Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the ninth to claim just their fourth series-opening win in 10 conference series this season.
The comeback was fueled by clutch performances from both veterans and newcomers. Freshman Caleb Danzeisen put Arizona ahead for good with a sacrifice fly after the Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs. Senior Mathis Meurant then delivered the knockout blow, smacking a two-out, two-run double for insurance. Meurant had already tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run after Oklahoma State (34-19, 16-12) had taken a 4-3 lead in the seventh.
Meurant finished with three hits, matching Andrew Cain who reached base five times. The Wildcats racked up 12 hits and 21 baserunners, though they stranded 11 runners through the first six innings while holding a 3-0 lead.
Senior left-hander Luc Fladda was brilliant early, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Oklahoma State broke through with a solo homer. The Cowboys added a three-run blast in the seventh to chase Fladda, who still limited OSU to just four hits overall.
Right-hander Corey Kling was the unsung hero, tossing two scoreless innings of relief. He stranded the go-ahead run at second base in the eighth before retiring the side in order in the ninth to earn the win.
The victory, combined with Texas Tech's loss to Cincinnati, moved Arizona into a tie for the final Big 12 Tournament spot. However, the Wildcats need to finish ahead of either Texas Tech or Kansas State in the standings, as both own tiebreakers over Arizona. That means the Wildcats need to win one more game than Texas Tech or two more than Kansas State in the season's final weekend to punch their ticket to Surprise, Arizona, for the tournament beginning Tuesday.
The series continues Friday at 4 p.m. PT with junior righty Owen Kramkowski on the mound for Arizona. Every pitch matters now for a team that refuses to stop fighting.