University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Bradley
Bruins Come Back To Defeat Bradley, 9-8
March 11, 2000 | Baseball
March 11, 2000
WESTWOOD, Calif. -- The UCLA Bruins scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to key an eight-run rally that enabled them to hold on and defeat the visiting Bradley Braves 9-8 Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
UCLA (9-10, 0-0 Pac-10) was down 7-1 in the fourth before turning to junior RHP Jon Brandt, who proceeded to shut down the Braves (4-4, 0-0 Missouri Valley) over the final 5.2 innings and improve his personal record to 2-3 on the season. Brandt struck out seven while walking just one. Junior RF Nick Lyon pitched in with a couple of assists, the first being his fourth homer of the year, a solo shot to lead off the seventh and tie the game at seven apiece. However, Lyon's biggest contribution came on the defensive side. With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the ninth, Brave 1B Matt Gecan hit what everyone thought would be the game-tying home run. Lyon, a 6'5" Monroe, WA native, raced back to the track and jumped up to swat the ball back into the field of play, holding Gecan to an RBI double and preserving the lead for Brandt and the Bruins. Bradley SS Brian Brown then popped up to junior SS Josh Canales to end the game and give UCLA back-to-back wins for the first time since defeating UNLV on Feb. 12 and 13.
The comeback win was the first of its kind on the season for UCLA after being down after five and a half innings. After shutting down the potent Bruin attack on one run over five complete frames, Bradley starter Steve Ellis began to feel the heat in the sixth. Loading the bases with nobody out, Ellis was forced to hand the ball over to reliever Joan Puig, who promptly allowed RBI singles to junior CF Charles Merricks and junior 2B Chase Utley. Puig then gave way to RHP Marc Baker who allowed three runs on a wild pitch, a sac fly by junior LF Bill Scott, and a RBI groundout by junior DH Forrest Johnson.
In the eighth, UCLA would add what turned out to be the decisive runs with a RBI double by Johnson and a RBI single by junior 1B Matt Pearl, breaking a 7-7 tie.
UCLA sophomore RHP Josh Karp started on the hill, but was given only two innings of work due to a pitch count. Karp allowed one run on two hits and struck out three during his time on the mound. Utley led the Bruins offensively, going 3-4 with two RBI in the leadoff role.
After combining for ten home runs, including seven by UCLA (ties school record) in the Friday night game, the teams hit just one on Saturday, the one being Lyon's solo shot in the seventh for UCLA. After striking out 20 batters on Friday night, including 16 by UCLA junior starter Rob Henkel in just six IP, the Bruins struck out 12 Braves today, giving them an average of 16 K's over the first two games of this three-game set. UCLA will go for the sweep tomorrow, March 12, at 1pm at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA will throw junior LHP Bobby Roe (1-2) against Bradley's Craig Hawkins (1-0). The game can also be heard on www.broadcast.com.
