The fourth-ranked Arizona baseball team was routed 15-3 by No. 17 UCLA on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field, as the visiting Bruins outplayed the host Wildcats in all phases of the games.
Before coming to the plate, the Wildcats had allowed five runs, as UA starter Konner Wade struggled with his command and surrendered four hits and a walk in the first while the defense committed three errors.
Arizona (24-10, 10-4 Pac-12) never seriously threatened to rally thereafter, though the deficit was trimmed to 5-2 after three innings. UCLA (23-8, 9-5 Pac-12) responded by scoring one run in the fourth, four in the fifth and two more in the sixth to effectively put the game away.
The Bruins went on to score 15 runs on 20 base hits, both season highs allowed by the Wildcats. The top three hitters in the UCLA lineup combined to go 11 for 16 at the plate with seven runs scored and five RBIs. Defensively, Arizona committed five errors, also matching a season high.
Wade (4-1) suffered his first career loss after lasting just three-plus innings. Vincent Littleman threw the next 4 2/3 innings and surrendered nine runs, six earned, on nine hits. He struck out three and walked one.
The lone bright spot for the Arizona pitching staff was the season debut of left-hander Augey Bill. The junior threw the final 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run, striking out one and allowing just one hit.
UCLA starter Nick Vander Tuig (4-2) earned the win, as the right-hander scattered eight hits and allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings. David Berg and Zack Ortiz pitched the final 3 1/3 innings to close the game.
Johnny Field, Alex Mejia and Bobby Brown each had two hits for the Wildcats, who collected 10 as a team to reach double digits for the 25th time in 34 games this season. Joey Rickard saw a 14-game hitting streak snapped, though his ninth-inning walk extended his reached-base streak to 29 consecutive games.
