TUCSON, Ariz. – Junior starter Chris Castellanos nearly went the distance in another solid start for Stanford baseball on Saturday night, but his Arizona counterparts handed the Cardinal its second straight 4-1 defeat at Hi Corbett Field.
Castellanos set a career high with 7.2 strong innings, did not allow a walk and struck out three. But Stanford was held to six hits and lost its first Pac-12 series of the season after starting the year with three straight series wins in conference play (first time since 2008).
Junior Tommy Edman led off the game with a single, but was eventually stranded at second. That was an ominous sign for the Cardinal. Stanford later loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third, but a double play ended the inning. In all, the Cardinal left nine runners on base, including two more in the fourth and one each in the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings.
Castellanos kept the Cardinal close as the deficit was just 1-0 halfway through. Arizona put up the first crooked number when a leadoff triple in the third eventually scored on a groundout to make it 1-0. Two innings later, the Wildcats extended their lead to 4-0 with three runs on four singles.
John Hochstatter relieved Castellanos with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth. He got a groundout to end the inning.
For the second straight night, Stanford entered the ninth down 4-0, and for the second straight night the offense threatened to get the Cardinal back in it. Senior Jonny Locher walked, and scored from first when senior Austin Barr launched a pinch-hit double over the left fielder's head. But that was as close as the Wildcats would let Stanford get.
NOTABLES: Edman had his third multi-hit performance in the last four games.
NEXT UP: Sunday's series finale at Hi Corbett Field is set for 1 p.m. The game can be seen on the Pac-12 Network.