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Having to slog uphill is no way to win baseball games.
Once again, Utah, which had been outscored by 20 runs in the first inning of games this season, fell behind early Friday against No. 4 Arizona.
This time, however, in a seesaw affair, it was the Utes who turned potential disaster into success and snapped a six-game losing streak, taking a chilly 7-6 come-from-behind victory at Spring Mobile Ballpark.
"What I'm most proud of, we got drubbed pretty good yesterday and they came back and fought today," Utah coach Bill Kinneberg said.
A game that featured four lead changes finally turned toward the Utes (8-21, 4-7 Pac-12) in the eighth inning on what should have been an inning-ending series of base-running blunders.
Instead, Gavin Green, caught off third base, tied the game when Arizona catcher Riley Moore dropped the ball. That came after Biss Larsen, who struck out and reached first on a wild pitch, safely made it to second when Moore threw the ball into right field.
Both runners started their breaks to advance a base late, but got away with it.
Tyler Relf then followed that circus with the eventual game-winning double to left.
"That was fun to watch. Exhilarating," said Utah shortstop James Brooks, whose two-run homer to right tied the game in the seventh. "But it worked out."
Arizona (22-10, 8-3) crushed Utah in Thursday's series opener, 11-2. The Wildcats jumped in front early again. But the Utes came back in the fourth inning when Parker Morin singled home two runs.
Utah starter Brock Duke, strong through five, couldn't get through the sixth. But the Utes' bullpen limited the Wildcats to one run over the next 3 1/3 innings.
Meanwhile, the Utes finally got to Arizona starter and reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Konner Wade in the seventh.
"We've been pressing pretty hard," Morin said. "This took the monkey off our back."
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Storylines Utah 7, Arizona 6
R Utah scores three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to upset No. 4 Arizona.
• Ute shortstop James Brooks ties the score 5-5 with a two-run home run in the seventh.