UCLA
USC
No. 24 UCLA Baseball Drops Series Finale at USC, 6-2
March 27, 2011 | Baseball
March 27, 2011
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LOS ANGELES - The No. 24 UCLA baseball team lost at USC, 6-2, in the series finale between the crosstown rivals at Dedeaux Field on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins (11-8, 2-1 Pac-10) managed four hits in the Pac-10 defeat after having won the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday at USC (9-15, 1-2 Pac-10).
Ricky Oropesa led USC with a 3-for-4 effort, totaling a game-high five RBI and one run. Oropesa had one two-run homer and two singles. USC's J.R. Aguirre (2-for-4, two runs) and Kevin Roundtree (2-for-3, one run) were the only other Trojans in the game to record multiple hits.
Beau Amaral went 2-for-5 with one RBI as the only UCLA player to notch at least two hits. Cody Regis and Jeff Gelalich each drew two walks.
USC right-hander Logan Odom (2-3) earned the victory, limiting UCLA to one run and two hits through seven innings. Odom struck out seven batters and issued three walks, collecting his second win of the year against the Bruins.
UCLA right-hander Adam Plutko (2-3) absorbed the loss, allowing four runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings. Plutko recorded three strikeouts and walked one batter.
USC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. J.R. Aguirre led off with a double that got over the head of right fielder Jeff Gelalich and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt. Aguirre scored on Oropesa's RBI-infield single.
The Trojans added one run in the bottom of the second. Kevin Roundtree opened the frame with a line drive double to the right field corner, advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout by Brandon Garcia.
UCLA cut the Trojans' lead in half with one run in the top of the third. With two outs, Cody Keefer lifted a bloop single to shallow left-center field, allowing Tyler Heineman to score from third base.
USC extended its cushion to 4-1 with a two-run homer to straight-away center field by Oropesa with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Following Oropesa's two-run blast, Plutko retired the Trojans' next 10 batters.
In the seventh, Oropesa lined a two-out two-run single to left field, pushing USC's margin to 6-1.
UCLA attempted to rally from a five-run deficit in the ninth inning, scoring one run and loading the bases with two outs. Trojans' right-hander Chad Smith induced a foul flyout, surrendered two base-hits and struck out Tyler Rahmatulla to end the game in a non-save situation.
The Bruins return to action at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday evening. Game time at the Titans' Goodwin Field is 6 p.m. Fans can listen to a live audio broadcast online, free of charge, at uclabruins.com.
Game Notes: Brenton Allen recorded his first collegiate hit in his second at-bat of the season, lining a two-strike pitch into left field in the top of the ninth inning ... the Bruins and Trojans split the season series, 2-2 ... UCLA has not lost the season series to the Trojans since 2005 ... Sunday's defeat marks UCLA's second loss in the team's last 10 games at Dedeaux Field ... UCLA's eight-game Pac-10 road game win streak came to a halt ... at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, the Bruins will play their first true midweek contest since March 1 (at San Diego State).
