TUSCON, Ariz. - Five Wildcats recorded multi-hit performances as Arizona racked up 13 total hits, including seven for extra bases, in an 11-7 win over Kansas State on Sunday afternoon.
Arizona (15-24, 6-12) scored at least one run in eight of nine innings en route to the victory over Kansas State (25-15, 9-9).
Collin McKinney earned the victory on the mound for Arizona, while Garrett Hicks recorded his sixth save of the season. Robert Fortenberry was charged with the loss for Kansas State.
After struggling at the plate throughout the series, Arizona's offense broke through Sunday, with eight players recording hits and all nine reaching base safely at least once.
Senior Maddox Mihalakis and freshman Cash Brennan collected two hits and two RBI apiece. Mihalakis hit his second home run of the season and added an RBI double. Beau Sylvester extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Nate Novitske reached base three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI. Tony Lira had two doubles, and Andrew Cain added an RBI triple. TJ Adams went 1-for-2 with a home run and a walk.
Luc Fladda started on the mound and tossed 3.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, while striking out four. McKinney entered in the fourth and had a tremendous outing, pitching 4.0 innings and striking out six. He allowed back-to-back hits to open the seventh before exiting, and a subsequent home run charged two runs to his final line.
Hicks collected the save, throwing 1.2 innings and allowing no runs and just one hit.
Fladda retired the side in the top of the first inning, and Arizona wasted no time getting the offense going. In the bottom half of the frame, Novitske led off with a double to right field. Caleb Danzeisen followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. After a strikeout, Andrew Cain hit into a fielder's choice to push a run across and give Arizona a 1-0 lead.
Fladda retired the side once again in the top of the second, striking out the final two batters.
The Wildcats extended their lead in the bottom of the second, as TJ Adams launched his first home run of the season, a 410-foot solo shot to center field.
Kansas State pushed four runs across in the top of the third to take a 4-2 lead.
Another solo shot in the bottom of the fourth cut into the deficit, as Mihalakis crushed a solo home run to center field.
The Wildcats continued the hot hitting in the fifth, as Brennan opened the inning with a single. Novitske then walked to put two runners on. After a strikeout, Lira walked to load the bases. Following another out, Sylvester put the ball in play and Kansas State mishandled it, allowing two runs to score as Arizona recaptured the lead.
The Wildcats extended the lead in the sixth, tacking on another run to make it a 6-4 advantage. Forbes was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Adams laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Two batters later, Novitske singled to center field, plating Forbes.
After back-to-back outs in the bottom of the seventh, Sylvester singled and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Mihalakis then doubled down the left field line to score Sylvester. Forbes and Adams then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, bringing Brennan to the plate. Brennan delivered a single to shallow left field, driving in two runs to make it a 9-4 lead.
Kansas State hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to trim Arizona's lead to two.
Lira doubled to right-center field with one out to launch Arizona's in the bottom of the eighth. Cain followed with a triple down the right field line, and Sylvester then added a single to center field to score Cain and extend Arizona's lead to 11-7.
Hicks shut the door in the ninth, retiring the side to secure the victory for Arizona.
The Wildcats return to Hi Corbett Field to host BYU for a three-game series beginning on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. (MST).
