UCLA Baseball Loses Opener to Huskies, 8-6; Looks to Even Series Today
The Bruins left a total of seven runners on base in last night's game. While the pitching and defense gave up too many runs, the UCLA batters need to drive in runners rather than stranding them.
New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling is fond of saying, “You just can’t predict baseball.” Last night, UCLA proved how true that statement is when the Bruins dropped the opening game of their weekend series, 8-6, to the Washington Huskies, who had been winless in Pac-12 play prior to last night.
This afternoon, the Bruins will look to even the series when the teams meet at 2 pm PT. Today’s game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks while also being live streamed.
Last Time Out
The Huskies came out strong in the first inning last night when they scored three runs on a two-run homer and and RBI single. Kevin Kendall started of what looked like a promising inning for the Bruins with a lead-off single. JT Schwartz drove him in with an RBI single. That would be all UCLA got back as they stranded two baserunners with consecutive outs to end the inning.
After the rough first inning, Bruin starter Zach Pettway settled down and held Washington scoreless until the fifth when an RBI triple and RBI double resulted in the Huskies adding two more runs to the scoreboard.
Washington picked up another insurance run in the seventh when reliever Adrian Chaidez threw a wild pitch with a runner on third. That runner scampered home to give Washington a 6-1 lead.
Meanwhile, UCLA struggled to get runners on base. From the second inning through the seventh, the Bruins only managed to get two runners on board and they stranded both.
The eighth inning saw Washington tack on one more, which proved to be the winning run because UCLA went on to score five runs in the bottom half of the inning when they sent 11 batters to the dish. The Bruins played small ball to get those runs across as they scored on an error, a wild pitch, a pair of walks, and a sacrifice fly. But, again, the Bruins stranded three which could have won the game for them if they had been able to keep the rally going.
With their lead now cut to just a run, 7-6, Washington added another insurance run in the top of the ninth. They wouldn’t need this one, though, as UCLA went three up and three down in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
Pettway took his first loss of the season after allowing five runs, all earned, on eight hits and a walk in six innings.
Today, Jesse Bergin (3-1, 2.97 ERA) takes the hill for the Bruins while southpaw Tyson Guerrero (0-0, 1.42 ERA) gets the start for Washington. Looking at Guerrero’s ERA, UCLA is going to need to wake their bats up and stop stranding runners on base if they want to win this afternoon’s game.
#9 UCLA Baseball (15-8, 4-3)
Opponent: Washington Huskies (9-13, 1-6)
Where: Jackie Robinson Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Game Time: 2:00 pm PT, Friday, April 2, 2021
Projected Pitching Matchup:
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Jr. (3-1, 2.97 ERA)
UW - Tyson Guerrero, LHP, RSo. (0-0, 1.42 ERA)
Media:
Live TV: Pac-12 Networks National, Los Angeles and Washington with J.B. Long and Ben Francisco
Live Audio: uclabruins.com with Tim Wilhelm
Live Stream: Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
This is your UCLA baseball vs. Washington Huskies game two open thread.
Go Bruins!
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No score through 3 innings . . .