UCLA
14-16
Loyola Marymount
16-17
Bunt Single Lifts UCLA to Win over LMU
April 13, 2016 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Bruins used an eighth inning RBI-bunt single from Kort Peterson to top the Loyola Marymount Lions, 6-5, on Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After surrendering a three-run lead in the top half of the eighth, the Bruins responded to score the game-winning run in the bottom half. With runners on the corners and two out, Peterson executed a textbook squeeze bunt single down the third base line to plate the runner from third.
Overall, the Bruins totaled eight hits in the win, led by Daniel Rosica (2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI) who recorded his first career multi-RBI game. Luke Persico (1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI) pitched in two RBI as well, hitting his first home run of the season.
Brian Gadsby (3-0) earned the win for the Bruins, allowing one run on four hits in 1.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. LMU reliever Harrison Simon (2-1) garnered the loss after allowing the game-winning run in his one inning.
UCLA (14-16) jumped out to the early lead on LMU, putting up three runs in the second inning behind a trio of doubles. Brett Stephens led off the frame with a double to left center and was followed by a walk to Christoph Bono. Then, after the two runners were sacrificed over, Rosica lined a double to right field and Brett Urabe doubled to left center to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead.
LMU (16-17) got one back in the top of the third to cut the UCLA lead to two on a leadoff solo home run from designated hitter Jimmy Hill.
However, the Bruins got a home run of their own in the bottom half to extend their lead to four. With a man on first, Persico unloaded on the first pitch he saw and drove it over the left field fence, his first home run of the season, to give UCLA a 5-1 edge.
For the third half-inning in a row, another home run put runs on the board as another solo shot pulled the Lions back within three. With two outs, Ryan Erickson homered to left to make the score, 5-2.
The Bruins would carry that three-run lead until the eighth inning where the Lions would fight back. Pinch-hitters Billy Wilson and Brandon Shearer provided the big hits to drive in three runs and knot the game at five a side.
UCLA bounced back immediately in the bottom half to plate the game-winning run. Bono's lead-off walk proved to be the deciding run that would come in to score on Peterson's bunt single.
In the ninth inning, LMU threatened, but Gadsby came up with a crucial strikeout to strand one and close the door on a Bruin victory.
UCLA now heads back on the road for a three-game Pac-12 series against the Washington Huskies beginning on Friday, April 15 at 7:00pm PT. On Friday, the Bruins will wear special 'throwback' jerseys in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The first two games of the series can be seen live on the Pac-12 Network while all three can be heard live on uclabruins.com.
Notes: Eric Filia has reached base in all 30 games this season...Persico's home run was the first UCLA home run since March 20…Daniel Rosica set a new single game career-high in RBI (2)…UCLA has won five of the last six meetings with LMU…Head Coach John Savage is just four wins away from 500 in his career (UCLA & UC Irvine combined).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gadsby, Brian (3-0)
L: SIMON, Harrison (2-1)
Batting:
2B: WHALEN, Seaver 1
HR: ERICKSON, Ryan 1 ; HILL, Jimmy 1
RBI: ERICKSON, Ryan 1 ; WILSON, Billy 2 ; HILL, Jimmy 1 ; SHEARER, Brandon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MILLER, Austin 1 ; BROWN, Cassidy 1 ; ERICKSON, Ryan 1 ; MURRAY, Joe 1 ; HILL, Jimmy 1
SB: DECOLATI, Niko 1
HBP: MILLER, Austin 1 ; DECOLATI, Niko 1
Batting:
2B: Urabe, Brett 1 ; Stephens, Brett 1 ; Rosica, Daniel 1
HR: Persico, Luke 1
RBI: Urabe, Brett 1 ; Peterson, Kort 1 ; Persico, Luke 2 ; Rosica, Daniel 2
SH: Chatterton, Trent 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bouchard, Sean 1 ; Persico, Luke 1 ; Stephens, Brett 1 ; Bono, Christoph 2 ; Rosica, Daniel 1
SB: Peterson, Kort 1 ; Persico, Luke 1
CS: Urabe, Brett 1 ; Peterson, Kort 1
HBP: Chatterton, Trent 1
