University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
North Carolina
North Carolina Completes Sweep As Baseball Falls 12-11
February 20, 2000 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2000
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 2 UCLA baseball squad did everything it could to avoid a sweep by ninth-ranked North Carolina, including waiting out a one-hour rain delay, but the Tar Heels put together an 11-run fourth inning to outlast the Bruins 12-11 in a game shortened to six innings due to the weather at Jackie Robinson Stadium Sunday afternoon.
With the victory, North Carolina completes the three-game sweep and improves to 9-0 on the season, while UCLA loses its fourth straight and falls to 6-5 overall. The winning pitcher was Scott Autrey (2-0) while Bruin starter Rob Henkel (1-1) suffered the loss.
The Bruins took a 6-0 lead in the second inning off UNC starter Chris Elmore, who had not allowed an earned run in 14 innings pitched this season. Junior designated hitter Forrest Johnson smashed a two-run homer followed by back-to-back doubles from sophomore first baseman Adam Berry and junior catcher Ryan Hamill to cap the six run inning.
But North Carolina knocked the wind out of the Bruins' sails in the fourth inning with an 11-run surge. UCLA starting pitcher Rob Henkel began the inning on the mound and gave up two consecutive fly ball singles to left fielder Tyrell Godwin and designated hitter Ryan Blake with the bases loaded, followed by a sacrifice fly to deep center field by third baseman Sean Farrell. Right fielder Matt McCay then dropped the bomb with a three-run home run as UNC tied the score 6-6.
Henkel then gave up a basehit to the next batter, second baseman Chad Prosser, forcing UCLA to go to the bullpen. Junior Paul Diaz then walked two North Carolina hitters to load the bases. Junior Tyler Dersom relieved Diaz, who walked catcher Dan Moylan to force in the go-ahead run which belonged to Henkel.
With the bases still loaded, Dersom gave up an RBI single to first-baseman Ryan Earey, walked Godwin and hit Blake as the Tar Heels ran the score up to 10-6. UCLA junior Bobby Roe then got the call out of the bullpen and inherited a 2-0 count on Farrell. Roe got the second out of the inning at the cost of UNC's 11th run on a sacrifice fly by Farrell, but McCay then grounded out to end the inning which saw sixteen North Carolina batters come to the plate.
The Bruins weren't willing to roll over as the home run ball helped UCLA close the scoring gap. Junior left fielder Bill Scott hit a two-run home run and Berry set up the Bruins' third run of the fourth inning when he singled, stole second and later scored on a single by junior right fielder Nick Lyon.
North Carolina scored one more run in the top of the fifth, before UCLA cut its lead to just one run in the bottom of the inning. Junior third baseman Garrett Atkins and Scott hit back-to-back home runs to spark the Bruin rally. UCLA threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on first, Atkins was robbed of an extra base hit in left field by Godwin for the final out of the inning.
Then the rains came, causing a one-hour delay of the game. After UCLA pulled the tarp on and off the infield a number of times playing cat-and-mouse with the rain, the teams finally took the field for the top of the seventh. Roe faced five batters, but the game was finally called by the umpires when a down pour ensued. Without the full completion of the seventh inning, the official game ended at the conclusion of the sixth.
The Bruins will attempt to break their losing streak when they host Pepperdine Tuesday, Feb. 22 for a 3 p.m. game at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
