University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Michigan State
Bruin Bats Come Alive to the Tune of 14-2 Victory over Michigan State
February 28, 2015 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – The No. 8 UCLA Bruins defeated the Michigan State Spartans, 14-2, in game one of a three-game series on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Home runs from Chris Keck and Kevin Kramer helped propel the Bruin offense to their fifth double-digit run total of the season.
Junior James Kaprielian (3-0) was solid on the mound for UCLA, allowing two runs and three hits while striking out seven batters to earn his third victory in as many starts. Michigan State's Mick VanVossen (0-2) garnered the loss after allowing six runs in just two innings.
Five Bruins finished with multiple hits, led by sophomore Luke Persico who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Ty Moore also had a pair of hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
The Spartans struck first in the game with a two-run home run to left field from Chad Roskelly to go up by a pair in the top of the second. However, that would mark the end of their scoring and the beginning of the Bruin attack.
UCLA, responded in a big way in the bottom half of the second, answering with a six-spot. With the bases loaded, Kramer got the scoring started by singling through the right side of the infield to plate Kort Peterson. The Bruins went on to add five more, topped off by a two-out RBI double to right center by freshman Sean Bouchard.
After Keck drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, UCLA tacked on three more to the total in the bottom of the fifth. After back-to-back lead-off walks put two runners on base for Trent Chatterton, the junior second baseman ripped a double into the right center field gap to bring Peterson home. Then, two batters later, Persico drove in two more with a stinging single through the right side of the Spartan infield to extend the UCLA lead to eight runs.
Already claiming an 11-2 advantage heading into the seventh, the Bruins got the long ball working to swell the lead even further. Kramer sent the first pitch of the inning over the fence in right center field, his second consecutive game with a home run. Shortly after Kramer tied Keck's team-high three home runs, Keck snatched the lead back with a monster two-run shot to right field for his fourth home run of the season.
In addition to the impressive offensive showing, the UCLA pitching staff turned in one of its' finest performances of the season. After Kaprielian departed, freshmen Jake Bird and Matt Trask each pitched an inning, combining to allow no runs and no hits, while striking out one batter to secure the 14-2 victory.
Game two of the weekend series between UCLA (8-1) and Michigan State (3-4) will commence tomorrow at 12:00pm PT at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Tomorrow's game can be heard live at uclabruins.com.
Notes: Ty Moore has at least one hit in all nine games, including eight multi-hit performances. Kort Peterson set a new career-high in runs (3). Darrell Miller Jr. set a new career-high in runs (2). Chris Keck matched a season and career-high with four runs batted in. James Kaprielian set season-highs in innings pitched (7) and strikeouts (8). UCLA now has 11 home runs this season, three more than last season's total.
