University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
California
Red-Hot Bruin Bats Knock Off Cal, 11-6
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
February 26, 1999
WESTWOOD, Calif. - The UCLA Bruins scored 11 runs off a season-high 16 hits to defeat the visiting California Golden Bears 11-6 in a nonconference game at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The contest featured six homeruns, all solo shots, including a rip to right field by senior ss Jack Santora in the second inning, and a shot to left by sophomore 1b Garrett Atkins in the eighth. Sophomore 3b Xavier Nady of California hit a career-best three homeruns, giving him nine on the season, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Bears fell to 6-10 while UCLA improved to 9-11. Collectively, the Bruins were 16-for-37 (.432) with eight of nine starters getting at least one hit and six garnering at least two. Sophomore 2b Chase Utley continued to wield a hot bat, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. In only his fourth collegiate start and first of the '99 season, sophomore dh Eric Reece was on fire, going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored. Meanwhile, the Bears hit just .182 (7-for-37) against the pitching duo of sophomore starter rhp Jon Brandt and sophomore reliever lhp Bobby Roe. Nady accounted for three of those hits and was the only Cal player who had more than one hit. Brandt earned his team-high fourth victory of the season, while Roe captured his third save of the year. With seven saves in his freshman campaign, Roe became only the seventh Bruin in school history to record at least 10 career saves.
UCLA tagged Cal ace rhp Jon Shirley for nine runs off eleven hits in six innings of work, making him 1-2 on the season. The Bruins scored six runs in the first three innings and never trailed enroute to their third double-digit scoring outburst of the season. Also keying the Bruin offensive were junior 3b Aldo Pinto and senior c Jason Green. Pinto was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Green was 2-for-3 with a double that hit the top of the right-centerfield wall and two runs scored. UCLA's 3-4-5 hitters continued to put up big numbers, as the trio of Atkins, Utley, and sophomore lf Bill Scott combined to go 7-for-13 with five runs scored. Including today's game, the sophomores are 31-for-70 (.443) with 19 RBI in their last six outings (Atkins- 12-24, 2 RBI; Utley- 11-26, 8 RBI; Scott- 8-20, 9 RBI).
Jon Brandt allowed his first earned run in 19.1 innings, giving up a solo homer to Nady in the fourth. Opponents hadn't scored an earned run off him since February 12, the same day he struck out a school-record 17 batters in seven innings. Opponents are hitting just .164 in 42 innings against Brandt, and have struck out 53 times.
The Bruins and Bears will square off again tomorrow at 1:00pm. California will throw sophomore rhp Ryan Atkinson (1-2, 5.06), while the Bruins will counter with freshman rhp Josh Karp (1-1, 4.82). On Sunday, February 28 at 1:00pm, the Bears plan to start sophomore lhp Jason Dennis (1-3, 5.93) while UCLA's tentative starter is sophomore rhp Chad Cislak (0-1, 3.46). UCLA play-by-play announcer Chris Roberts will be joined by Graduate Assistant Bruin SID Jeff Blank for an internet broadcast of Sunday's matinee. It can be accessed through one of the following websites: www.uclabruins.com or www.broadcast.com.
