SCOTTSDALE—There’s a really good chance Arizona’s run in the Pac-12 Tournament will come to an end on Saturday, and that’s fine. Having it not happen the day before was what really mattered.
The Wildcats staved off elimination by sending their rival into the offseason, rallying to beat ASU 8-6 on Friday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium. Fifth-seeded Arizona (37-22) moves on to face No. 1 Stanford at 9 a.m. PT, needing to beat the Cardinal—who thumped the UA 15-8 on Thursday—twice to advance to Sunday’s Pac-12 final.
“It’s win or go home, and you definitely don’t want to go home,” said center fielder Mac Bingham, whose bases-clearing triple with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning was the game-winning hit.