UCLA
San Francisco
No. 2 UCLA Baseball Blanks San Francisco, 1-0, in Season Opener
February 18, 2011 | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2011
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LOS ANGELES - Junior right-hander Gerrit Cole threw his second career complete game, recording 11 strikeouts, to lead the No. 2 UCLA baseball team past San Francisco, 1-0, in its season-opening contest on Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Cole (1-0) made 107 pitches through a career-high nine innings, scattering just four hits and allowing one walk. The right-hander from Santa Ana, Calif., tallied six of his 11 strikeouts in the game's final three innings. Friday's performance marked his first career complete game victory.
San Francisco left-hander Matt Lujan (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing one run and four hits through eight innings in a complete-game effort. Lujan logged nine strikeouts and issued three walks.
UCLA's Trevor Brown led the Bruins at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one run.
Brown helped the Bruins get on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The starting third baseman drilled a double to left field with one out and advanced to third base on an ensuing wild pitch. On a 3-and-0 count, Dean Espy lined a single to left field, scoring Brown from third base. Jeff Gelalich was the only other player to record a hit for UCLA.
San Francisco's best opportunity to tie the game occurred in the top of the seventh. With runners at first and third and one out, Cole struck out Travis Higgs. On an ensuing 2-and-2 count, first base runner Stephen Yarrow attempted to steal second base, before third base runner Pete Lavin broke toward home plate on catcher Steve Rodriguez's pump-fake to second base. Caught in a pickle, Lavin was tagged out by Brown to end the inning.
UCLA and San Francisco will resume their three-game weekend series on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. Fans are advised to check uclabruins.com and the UCLAAthletics Twitter for updated information, should rain impact Saturday's start time.
Game Notes: UCLA improved to 6-1 in season opening ballgames under seventh-year head coach John Savage ... Gerrit Cole last registered a complete game in a 3-2 loss to Oregon on May 1, 2009 (8.0 innings in that effort) ... Cole picked up his 16th career victory on Friday afternoon, lowering his career ERA to a 3.28 mark ... Cole's 11 strikeouts places him fifth on UCLA's career strikeouts list (60 shy of tying the all-time mark of 328 strikeouts set by Alex Sanchez in 1987).
