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UCLA Baseball Falls To LSU 8-2 In Super Regional Opener
June 02, 2000 | Baseball
June 2, 2000
Baton Rouge, La. - The UCLA baseball team was held to a season-low two hits including a two-run home by Forrest Johnson, as Louisiana State defeated the Bruins 8-2 in the first game of the NCAA Super Regional before a crowd of 7, 624 at Alex Box Stadium Friday night.
UCLA, losers of just its third game in the last 13, drops to 38-25 overall, while LSU improves to 47-17.
Louisiana State starting pitcher Brian Tallet (14-3) stifled the Bruins' usually potent offense, as he did not allow a hit until Johnson's towering shot over the left field bleachers in the seventh inning. Designated hitter Adam Berry then followed with a single, the second and final base knock of the night.
"I've got to tip my hat to their team and their pitcher," UCLA head coach Gary Adams said. "Tallet did a great job. It's not very often that a team no-hits us like he did, but he was pitching well. I give him a lot of credit. He battled out there. He was tremendous."
UCLA starter Rob Henkel (6-4) got off to a rocky start, allowing a lead-off double in the first inning to LSU shortstop Ryan Theriot who later scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Brad Cresse. Henkel then retired the next four batters, two via strikeout, before errors by UCLA shortstop Josh Canales and third baseman Randall Shelley in the third inning set up two unearned runs.
"I thought we kind of opened the door for them by making the errors," Adams said. "If we would have just played good baseball on defense there early in the game. I think that kind of gave them momentum and took some momentum away from us. We probably should have been in a zero to zero game for probably five innings anyway."
The Tigers added to their lead in the fifth on an RBI base hit by center fielder Cedrick Harris followed by a two-run smash by Cresse over the batter's eye in center field. Henkel finished the inning by striking out the next two batters and ended the game giving up six runs (four earned) on just four hits, while striking out five.
After Johnson put the Bruins on the board in the top of the seventh, LSU answered with two runs of its own off UCLA reliever Bobby Roe in the bottom of the seventh to seal the 8-2 victory.
"I felt like I pitched with a lot of heart and determination out there," Henkel said. "I wish I could have gone a little bit longer. There were a couple breaks that didn't go our way as a team. But it's one game. You tip your hat to LSU and we're just going to come out tomorrow with a lot of intensity and ready to play."
Cresse led LSU with the bat, going 1-for-3 with a sac fly, a homer (his 30th of the season) and three RBI. No player on either team had more than one hit. UCLA first baseman Garrett Atkins had his season-high 22-game hitting streak snapped tonight, going 0-for-4.
The Bruins look to stay alive tomorrow, as they need to win to avoid elimination. Should LSU win tomorrow, the Tigers will advance to the College World Series held June 9-17. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 3 p.m. Central Time (1 p.m. Pacific) with right-hander Josh Karp on the mound for UCLA vs. right-hander Hunter Gomez. All the action can be heard live on the internet at www.broadcast.com. Jeff Blank and Cass Olson will call the action.
