Baseball Racks up Second Straight Comeback Win Over Loyola Marymount

Tuesday, March 9

Los Angeles, CA

2:00 PM

UCLA

Loyola Marymnt

Baseball Racks up Second Straight Comeback Win Over Loyola Marymount

June 21, 1999 | Baseball

By: UCLA Athletics

The UCLA Bruins wiped out a three-run deficit with six runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Loyola Marymount Lions, 12-10, at George Page Stadium Tuesday afternoon. The rally was fueled with RBI singles by junior rf Brian Baron and sophomore dh Eric Reece (2 RBI), and a RBI double (2 RBI) by sophomore lf Bill Scott. Sophomore rhp Paul Diaz posted his first collegiate save by shutting out the Lions (12-11, 2-1) in the final two-thirds of the ninth. It was the second successful ninth-inning comeback effort the Bruins have mounted against the Lions this season. On February 20, the Bruins were down 5-0 heading into the bottom-of -the-ninth before rallying to win 6-5. Home runs by sophomore cf Nick Lyon and Scott keyed that memorable comeback. Today's win over LMU brings UCLA Head Coach Gary Adams to within one of the millennium mark. In 30 seasons of collegiate head coaching experience, including 25 in Westwood, Adams is 999-725-12 (.579).

Behind 8-2 after three innings of play, the Bruins (14-13, 0-0) used a strong relief performance by sophomore lhp Ryan Carter and a four-run fifth ignited by three-run homer by sophomore 1b Garrett Atkins. Carter left with one out in the ninth after pitching a solid 5.2 innings, allowing only four hits and two (earned) runs. Atkins hit his fourth homer of the season, a fifth-inning laser that knocked home Baron and senior ss Jack Santora.

UCLA's 3-4-5 hitters (Atkins, sophomore 2b Chase Utley, and Scott) accounted for ten of the Bruins' 13 hits, seven of 11 RBI, and six of 12 runs scored. Both Atkins and Utley each were 3-for-5, while Scott tied a career-high with four hits (4/13 vs. Hawaii-Hilo) in five at-bats with two doubles. It was the third time this season that Scott has doubled twice in a game. He also knocked in four runs, raising his team-high RBI total to 36 on the year. His performance also extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games. During the streak, which began on February 13 at Rice, Scott has raised his overall batting average by .93 points, batting .441 (26-59) with six homers and 29 RBI. The Granada Hills native has also knocked in at least one run in 11 of the last 12 games

Brian Baron extended his own hitting streak to eleven games by going 2-for-4 with 1 RBI and two runs in helping the Bruins record it's third three-game winning streak of the season. The win over Marymount also marks the first time that UCLA has been over .500 since February 21, 1999.

In the last 25 years under Adams, the Bruins are now 26-26 versus the Lions. The season series between the two schools concludes on April 13 at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The Bruins open up Pac-10 play at Tucson, AZ versus the Arizona Wildcats, March 12-14, while the Lions play a Friday-Saturday set at Santa Clara.