UCLA
Stanford
Bruins Get Sweet Revenge on Cardinal
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
May 15, 1999
WESTWOOD, Calif. - The UCLA Bruins scored a season-high tying nine runs in the eighth to erase a four-run deficit and beat the #6 Stanford Cardinal, 12-7, in a crucial Pac-10 conference game at Jackie Robinson Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Cardinal went down quietly in the ninth, as sophomore RHP Jon Brandt shut down any hopes of another miraculous Stanford comeback.
The victory not only ensures UCLA of a winning season overall and in the Pac-10, it also clinches at least a tie for third place in the conference. At 30-28 overall and 13-10 in Pac-10 action, the Bruins are looking to play their way into the NCAA Tournament with important Pac-10 wins, having won 12 of the last 15 in league. Today's victory unofficially places the Bruins on the NCAA bubble. A win tomorrow would all but assure them of a postseason bid.
The Bruins snapped the Cardinal's season-high 12-game winning streak and their personal eight-game losing streak to Stanford , and dropped it to 39-13 overall and 18-5 in the Pac-10. However, by virtue of a USC loss to Washington Saturday afternoon, Stanford clinched the Pac-10 crown. UCLA's victory sets the stage for tomorrow's highly important rubber game that will most likely determine the Bruins' postseason fate. Stanford came from seven down to defeat UCLA in ten innings on Friday night.
Sophomore LF Bill Scott led off the Bruin onslaught in the eighth with his 24th homer of the season. The first seven batters reached base safely, two by home run, two by double, two by single, and one via beanball. Scott, who ties a school-record by homering in his fifth consecutive game, is now the 1999 Pac-10 home run king as he passed Cal's Xavier Nady with the solo shot to center. California is finished with its season.
Sophomore 1B Garrett Atkins, who has been on fire of late having hit safely in 23 of 24 games, followed Scott with his 11th home run of the season, knocking out Stanford starter RHP Justin Wayne and bringing the Bruins to within two. Later in the inning, Atkins put the finishing touches on UCLA's clutch comeback, hitting his 12th homer, a two-run shot to right. Atkins is just the third Bruin in 25 seasons to homer twice in one inning. Jon Heinrichs did it last in 1997.
After Atkins' first homer, redshirt freshman DH Adam Berry almost made it back-to-back-to-back roundtrippers, as he nailed a Dan Rich offering off the top of the left field fence for a double. Senior C Jason Green, who will play his final regular season game at home tomorrow, kept things going with a single to left, pushing Berry to third. Sophomore RF Matt Pearl followed with an RBI double to right-center off reliever J.D. Willcox, scoring Berry and advancing Green to third. Sophomore 3B Nick Lyon was then hit by a Willcox pitch loading up the bases. The pitcher of record, Willcox fell to 2-1 on the year.
Sophomore CF Charles Merricks, who nailed his first collegiate home run in the fifth inning, brought home Green with a single to left, tying the game at seven. Senior SS Jack Santora then flied to right, giving the Bruins an ironic 8-7 lead, as Pearl scored on the sacrifice. Santora will join Green on "Senior Day" tomorrow.
UCLA padded its lead on an RBI single by sophomore 2B Chase Utley, an RBI ground-out by Scott, and Atkins' second homer of the inning. It was the fourth career multi-homer game and second of the season for Atkins, who just four days ago went yard twice against San Diego.
After letting a commanding 7-0 lead slip away the evening before, the Bruins looked down through the first four and a half innings, falling behind 5-1 to the #6-rated team in the country. However, the home run by Merricks energized and inspired the Bruins toward their huge comeback. Freshman RHP Brian Strelitz (1-3), in relief of starter freshman RHP Josh Karp, helped things out by holding off the potent Stanford lineup for two innings. After making a two-run mistake to 1B John Gall, who hit his third homer of the day, Strelitz (1-3) retired six of the next seven to notch his first collegiate victory. Gall became the first Stanford ballplayer to go deep three times in one game in over ten years.
The UCLA victory was especially meaningful, given that it was televised across the nation by Fox Sports Net. The Bruins picked the right time to make their case for the postseason, as they won for the first time in 12 television games, dating back to the NCAA Midwest Regional of 1997. Also, Bruin fans packed Jackie Robinson 747 strong, a season-high that figures to be broken tomorrow when UCLA and Stanford tangle in the season finale. Sophomore LHP Bobby Roe (3-3, 4.00) will go up against Brian Sager (4-0, 4.03) of Stanford. First pitch is scheduled at 1:00pm at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Tomorrow is also Senior Day, as seniors Dan Keller, Jason Green, and Jack Santora will be honored.
