Arizona baseball suffers first loss vs. Minnesota, ending nation’s longest winning streak

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona baseball scored 11 or more runs in all three games of a season-opening sweep against Albany last weekend, but the offense came to a screeching halt on Monday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The Wildcats fell to Minnesota 5-2 for their first loss of the season, ending a 13-game winning streak dating back to last season, the longest in the nation.

Arizona (3-1) did not get on the board until the sixth when Ryan Holgate and Jacob Blas cut the deficit to 3-2 with back-to-back RBI doubles.

The Wildcats had a chance to tie it or take the lead, but Blas got caught stealing for the second out before Kyson Donahue struck out swinging to end the frame.

Arizona had seven hits, drew four walks, and had two batters get hit by a pitch, but left 10 on base.

Freshman right-hander Dawson Netz made his Arizona debut, permitting three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work in his first career start.

JuCo transfer lefty Ian Churchill fanned six batters in just 2.2 innings, but also allowed two runs on two hits and two walks as Minnesota created some separation in the eighth.

Freshman lefty Blake Peyton walked in a run to make it 4-2, then Jordan Kozicky singled to left off Preston Price to make it a three-run game.

Minnesota (2-2) is coming off a 29-27 season in which it finished 64th in RPI and missed the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers were picked to finish third in the 2020 Big Ten Preseason Poll, which only consists of six teams.

Minnesota also beat Oregon and lost to San Diego and Pepperdine in Tempe over the weekend.

Arizona returns to action Friday in San Diego when it begins the Tony Gwynn Legacy, where it will face Southern Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

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