March 1, 2000
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The UCLA baseball team fell victim to an outstanding pitching performance by Long Beach State right-hander Jeff Leuenberger, as the 49ers defeated the Bruins 6-1 in front of 1,025 at Blair Field Wednesday night.
Leuenberger went the distance, pitching nine innings and allowing only one run off four hits, while striking out eight Bruin hitters. UCLA (7-9) has dropped eight of its last nine games, while Long Beach State (10-3) extends its win streak to nine games.
Bruin junior right-hander Jon Brandt (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) off three hits through 6.1 innings pitched.
Long Beach State took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, when shortstop Bobby Crosby grounded to UCLA shortstop Warren Trott who threw the ball into the 49er dugout, allowing Crosby to advance to second. Right-fielder Chuck Lopez followed with an RBI single up the middle to put Long Beach State on the board.
The 49ers scored three more runs in the seventh, when designated hitter Chris Wright led off with a triple off the wall in right field and came home to score on a single by third baseman Joe Graham. A Bruin error, a fielder's choice and a hit batter loaded the bases, forcing UCLA to call upon left-hander Ryan Carter out of the bullpen.
Carter got pinch-hitter Jason Berni to pop up to short, but 49er second baseman A.J. LaBarbera drove in two more unearned runs with a double. Long Beach State added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
The lone UCLA run came in the top of the eighth. Redshirt freshman Jim Hemming smashed a pinch-hit double off the wall in center before sophomore Khelyn Smith was brought in to pinch-run. Senior Aldo Pinto, pinch-hitting for Trott, grounded to the first baseman who tagged him out. Smith, running on the play, scored from second.
Only three other Bruins recorded hits tonight. Junior second baseman Chase Utley was 1-for-4 with a first inning double, while junior catcher Forrest Johnson was 1-for-3. Johnson's single in the seventh inning broke a string of 16 straight UCLA hitters retired by Leuenberger. Junior right fielder Nick Lyon also singled, and his hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.
The Bruins return home to Jackie Robinson Stadium this Saturday, March 4 as they play host to Keio, University of Japan. The exhibition game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.