TEMPE — With two outs, one on and the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats trailing by three in the bottom of the ninth inning, Matthew Dyer dropped a bunt down the third-base line. It was a smart play: The third baseman was playing back; Dyer has excellent speed; and cleanup hitter Dayton Dooney, representing the tying run, was waiting on deck.
But Minnesota reliever Bubba Horton one-upped Dyer. Horton pounced off the mound and made a sliding stop to corral the bunt. The left-hander sprung to his feet and threw out Dyer by half a step.
It was that kind of day for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥; every time the Wildcats were on the verge of breaking through, they came up just short.
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ lost to Minnesota 5-2 Monday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in the finale of the 2020 Angels College Classic. The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season after sweeping Albany in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ over the weekend.
It was the first time this year that No. 22 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (3-1) had scored fewer than 12 runs. The Wildcats’ offensive approach agitated UA coach Jay Johnson the most.
“Our whole offense and the success of it is built on not swinging at balls,†Johnson said. “I thought we expanded the strike zone today, way more than any game that I can remember. We were always kind of one at-bat short from creating that big inning that we’ve been typically creating.â€
After trimming their deficit from 3-0 to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ struck out a season-high 13 times and tied a season low with four walks.
The Wildcats drew only one walk in 4 2/3 innings against Minnesota starter J.P. Massey, a 6-5 right-hander whose fastball reached the mid-90s and caught the attention of the dozens of MLB scouts in attendance. Massey walked 22 batters in 25 innings as a freshman in 2019.
Asked if he had an explanation for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s atypical at-bats, Johnson said: “If I say anything, it sounds like an excuse. So I’ll just leave it as, we gotta take at-bats more in line with our character.â€
The pitching staff performed well enough to win on most days. Dawson Netz, Ian Churchill, Blake Peyton and Preston Price combined to surrendered four earned runs. They didn’t get the requisite help from their defense, which has been an early-season issue for the Wildcats.
Right fielder Ryan Holgate dropped a slicing fly ball with two outs in the fifth inning, allowing a run to score and upping the Golden Gophers’ lead to 3-0. In the eighth, shortstop Kyson Donahue misplayed a popup to shallow left, producing another Minnesota run. The play was scored a single, but it was one Donahue should have made.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has committed at least one error in every game and nine overall. What will it take for the Wildcats to make all the plays they should on a regular basis?
“Work,†Johnson said. “A four-hour practice on Wednesday after an off day. I don’t care if they’re tired. We’re going to make sure all the fundamentals are in order.â€
Johnson spoke to the team in shallow left field for about 10 minutes after the game. Price summarized Johnson’s message as follows:
“The fundamentals weren’t there. But at the same time, we’re gonna get back to work and just keep doing what we do.â€
“There’s nothing really to sweat,†the senior right-hander added, “because we all believe in each other. We should be fine.â€
Although they were 1-2 entering Monday, the Golden Gophers are viewed as a potential NCAA Tournament team. Three of eight staffers picked Minnesota as a non-Top-25 sleeper entering the season.
The Gophers looked the part from the mound, with Massey and Horton combining for seven scoreless innings. The Wildcats got on the board off reliever Drake Davis in the sixth via a single by Branden Boissiere and back-to-back doubles by Holgate and Jacob Blas. Blas then stole third but was thrown out at the plate on a squeeze attempt that went awry.
Boissiere came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh with the score 3-2. Johnson elected to use the left-handed-hitting Boissiere against Horton instead of Blake Paugh, whose specialty is hitting lefties. Boissiere grounded out to first.
“The thought process was that he (Horton) wasn’t really firm; the fastball wasn’t going to get by Branden,†Johnson said. “He hit a home run Saturday night off a lefty. … It was more of a gut feel against that particular pitcher. He hit the ball hard, just right at the first baseman.â€
Inside pitch
• With no outs and a runner on third in the top of the third inning, Holgate made a diving catch in four territory. The runner tagged and scored. Should Holgate have let the ball drop? “With no outs and a man on third, we’re going to take the out every time,†Johnson said. “Now, if it’s two strikes and one out and we feel like we’ve got a good strikeout candidate (at the plate), we all would have been screaming to let it drop. But it was the right play to make by Ryan.â€
• Holgate went 3 for 4 and was the only Wildcat to produce more than one hit. The sophomore is batting .667 (10 for 15).
• Dyer went 0 for 5, failing to reach base for the first time this season. He also made his first UA appearance at second base in the ninth inning and made a diving stop on a grounder in the hole. “He can do a lot of different things really well,†Johnson said. “We’re going to keep working to find that right combination. … What’s nice about Matt is he could literally play every position on the field.†Dyer played the first eight innings at catcher.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ will participate in the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament in San Diego on Friday-Sunday. The UA will face Southern Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.
