Score: Arizona 12, UAlbany 7
 
Location: Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.
 
Records: UAlbany (0-1); Arizona (1-0)
 
Short Story: UAlbany rallies for five runs in the ninth but the Great Danes fall short in the series opener to Arizona 12-7.

Coach Mueller: "It was a big challenge coming into this environment, they are a top-20 team, 13th in some polls. I thought we did a nice job throughout the day offensively, we got the pitch count up on their starter and cashed in late with some new guys in the lineup, which is nice. We have to come out tomorrow and play outstanding baseball to beat a team like this."
  
Key Stats

• UAlbany starter Ray Weber went 2.1 innings, allowing six runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
• Nick Kondo hit 2-5 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. 
• Josh Salandy and Matt Soloman each recorded their first career hit and run scored. 
• Alex Thul hit 2-3 with an RBI.
• Arizona starter Garrett Irvin went 5 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. 
• Arizona's Austin Wells hit 3-4 with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored.  

Recap

For the first time in school history, the University at Albany visit the University of Arizona, marking the second time in eight seasons that UAlbany participated on collegiate baseball's opening weekend. The Great Danes fell to the Wildcats, 12-7, in the series' inaugural game. 
 
Dolan Ocasal became the Great Danes' first baserunner of the 2020 season after being hit by a pitch in the top of the first, but was stranded on base when the next two Great Danes struck out.
 
After Ray Weber hit the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first, Arizona scored on an RBI single. With runners on second and third, Arizona scored another run on a passed ball, taking a 2-0 lead. Weber struck out two Wildcats in the inning. 
 
With one out in the bottom of the second, Jason Bottari recorded the Great Danes' first hit of the season with a double down the first base line. Alex Thul drove Bottari in with an RBI single to cut the Arizona lead to 2-1.
 
Arizona took a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single, followed by a three-run home run by Austin Wells after Weber walked two of the first three batters.
 
In the top of the third, Nick Kondo worked an 11-pitch at bat before hitting a double to left field and scoring on a passed ball, cutting the Arizona lead to 6-2. 
 
UAlbany made a pitching change in the bottom of the third, bringing Hunter Torres in relief of Weber, who went 2.1 innings allowing six earned runs. Torres retired the only two batters he faced in the inning with one strikeout.
 
Marc Wangenstein led off the top of the fourth inning with a walk and Thul hit an infield single. Wangenstein advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt, but both runners were left stranded on base. 
 
Torres entered his second inning of work and retired the first two batters he faced, one via strikeout. After a two-strike double down the first base line, Torres recorded the final out on a flyball to the left field warning track. In a scoreless fifth, Arizona's Garrett Irvin and Torres traded 1-2-3 innings to keep the Arizona lead at 6-2. 
 
After a scoreless top of the sixth, Torres ran into his first jam on the mound, allowing a leadoff single and hit the next batter. Both scored on a two-run double, followed by two more RBI doubles, giving Arizona a 10-2 lead. 
 
Bottari led off the seventh inning with a walk but Arizona retired the next three UAlbany hitters. In the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats hit their second home run of the game to take an 11-2 lead.
 
Kondo led off the eighth with a strikeout, but reached first base on a wild pitch. Ocasal followed with a walk and was thrown out on a fielder's choice, when Malm reached first. With runners on first and third, Arizona retired the next two UAlbany hitters, keeping the score at 11-2.
 
Arizona's top half of the lineup continued its game-long dominance in the eighth with a leadoff walk, followed by a double and RBI sacrifice fly to extend the Wildcat lead to 12-2. The Great Danes turned a double play to end the inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, Josh Salandy recorded his first collegiate hit with a leadoff double. Matt Soloman recorded his first collegiate hit in the next at bat with an infield single and Salandy scored on a throwing error. After a John Daly walk, Kondo hit a two RBI double, giving Soloman his first collegiate run scored. Ocasal and Malm each followed with RBI ground outs. After a Wangenstein single, the Wildcats recorded the final out, securing the 12-7 victory.
 
Next: UAlbany plays the second game of the series against Arizona on Saturday, February 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET.