University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Oklahoma St
Cowboys and Bruins Treat Fans to Slugfest
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
May 29, 1999
By Roger Moore
NewsPress Sports Editor
WICHITA, Kan. - Although revenge is not something coaches like to use as motivation, you can bet Oklahoma State coach Tom Holliday mentioned a thing or two about two years ago in Stillwater before Saturday night's elimination game against the UCLA Bruins.
The Cowboys rode the left arm of Dale Pearson, who threw 151 pitches over 7 2/3 innings, and finally found the aluminum the program is known for in getting by UCLA in a sloppy eight-error NCAA Regional elimination round slugfest, 17-10, in front of 3490 at Wichita's Eck Stadium Saturday night.
The win propelled the Cowboys (42-18) into the final day of competition against host Wichita State (59-12), where OSU must win the 2 p.m. game and then come back to beat the Shockers in an if-necessary game at 6 p.m. Pearson did give up four home runs, two to UCLA stud Bill Scott, and seven runs on 12 hits, but what he did was save the bull pen for a full day of work Sunday.
Things didnt start off well for OSU in the top of the first. After Pearson walked Pat Santora to start the game and gave up a one-out single to Bill Scott, second baseman Kevin Lucas booted a Garrett Atkins grounder to load the bases. Pearson nearly got out of the inning when Jason Green just beat out a 5-4-3 double play ball. Santora scored on the play giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead, but Pearson would come back to get Nick Lyon looking to end the threat.
The Bruins cut it to 7-2 in the second on an RBI-single by Chase Utley, but Pearson time and again over his stint worked himself out of jams. A 5-4-3 double play ended the second and in the third the Bruins loaded the bases, but Pearson got Matt Pearl looking and then got a break when Charles Merrichs lined one into the glove of first baseman Jay McCullough.
The Cowboys pushed the lead to 10-2, but the powerful Bruins came storming back with back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth by Utley, over the right field wall, and Scott, whos blast to right center came on Pearsons 122nd pitch. A trip to the mound by OSU pitching coach John Farrell apparently worked as Pearson got a fly out to center and then struck out Forrest Johnson with some high heat, keeping it at 10-5 after five and a half.
With all the talent on the UCLA squad, it was apparent that they were not
going to go down without a fight. After Pearson gave up a two-run homer ot
Scott in the eighth, Trevor Leu came on and immediately gave up back-to-back
homers to Atkins and Forrest Johnson to make it 17-9, but Adam Berry flew out
to deep center field and the eighth was over.
The Cowboys will face regional host Wichita State (59-12) and will have to
win two games today to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament. The
Shockers own wins over ORU, 13-5, and UCLA, 4-2 and will have a packed Eck
Stadium behind them. Right-handed freshman Ben Kieter, who at 7-0, owns a win
over Long Beach State this season, will get the start in Sundays first game.
The Cowboys will go with Frank Bludau (3-0, 5.87) and still has Rusty Rushing who has not thrown yet in the tournament.
NOTES
Oklahoma State head coach Tom Holliday:
"The pitching wasn't beautiful, but Dale Pearson was pretty. He kept UCLA
away from the big inning for us, which we asked him to do."
"It was a game we had to win and we played like it. When a team's back is against the wall, it brings out a team's personality, and we responded well tonight. I hope we'll be back playing in another doubleheader tomorrow."
"Wichita State plays and executes the game as well as any team in the country. You have to take runs when you can get them, and you can't afford to fall 2-0, 3-0 to a team like that. They're a great ball club, and it ain't gonna be easy."
Oklahoma State outfielder Lamont Matthews:
"I'm glad I stepped it up. Right now, everyone's stepping it up, and
hopefully we can come out and take two tomorrow. Everyone contributed
tonight."
UCLA head coach Gary Adams:
"It was a tough first inning and a tough sixth inning. Eliminate that and
we beat them 10-3. I don't know what to say. We hit with them, we fielded
with them, we just didn't pitch with them. That was the difference in the
game."
UCLA shortstop Jack Santora:
"I don't think it was anything he was doing. We hit the ball hard all day.
We just weren't finding the holes, and sometimes it just doesn't go your
way."
