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In successive weeks as a true freshman last season, Smith Bailey was the starting for pitcher for Arizona in its wins to claim the Big 12 Tournament, a regional and a spot in the College World Series. Winning the middle game of a February tourney isn’t nearly as noteworthy, but it could end up being huge for how this season goes.
Bailey threw six strong innings in a 5-1 win over Vanderbilt in the Live Like Lou Las Vegas Classic on Saturday afternoon. The victory evened the Wildcats’ record in the tourney at 1-1 heading into Sunday’s finale against UC-Irvine.
The sophomore right-hander allowed a run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts, retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced. He became the first starting pitcher to pick up a win this season for Arizona (2-8).
The UA trailed 1-0 before scoring four times in the top of the 6th, batting around. Andrew Cain led off the inning with a double and scored on a triple from Maddox Mihalakis, then Mihalakis came home on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Forbes to put the Wildcats ahead.
Redshirt freshman Nate Novitske made it 4-1 later in the inning on a 2-out, 2-run single. Novitske was 3 for 5 and has six hits in the first two games in Las Vegas.
A solo home run by catcher Roman Meyers in the 7th capped the scoring.
Arizona’s bullpen followed up Bailey with three scoreless frames. Patrick Morris allowed a hit and walk in 1.2 innings, Evan Brandt got a groundout to end the 8th and Garrett Hicks stranded two in the 9th.
Lefty Luc Fladda, a transfer from Tulane, will start Sunday’s 4 p.m. MT finale. Irvine (8-3) has won its first two games in the tourney.
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