Bruins Fall to UC Riverside, 3-2

Tuesday, February 21

Los Angeles, Calif.

6:00 PM

UCLA

2-1

UC Riverside

2-1

UC Riverside

UCLA

Justin Hooper struck out 10 batters in 4.1 innings in relief.

Bruins Fall to UC Riverside, 3-2

February 21, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

LOS ANGELES – Justin Hooper recorded 10 strikeouts in 4.1 innings in relief, while Daniel Amaral collected two hits and drove in one run as the UCLA baseball team dropped a midweek contest to UC Riverside, 3-2, on Tuesday from Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Hooper becomes the first UCLA pitcher to record 10 strikeouts in a game since Kyle Molnar tallied 11 on March 20, 2016 against Washington State. As a staff, the Bruins totaled 15 strikeouts, the most since March 19, 2016.

Hooper threw 4.1 innings out of the bullpen and allowed two runs without surrendering a hit to go along with his 10 strikeouts. Jon Olsen started the game for the Bruins and gave up only one hit in 3.0 innings with three strikeouts.

Down 2-0, UC Riverside scored all three of its runs in the eighth inning to earn the win. Hooper struck out the first batter of the inning but the Highlanders drew a pair of walks and scratched across a run as Colby Schultz advanced Cody Sporrer from third base with a groundball to second base. UCR would take the lead one batter later as Mark Contreras hit a two-run home run to right field for the game-winning run.

UCR's Trenton Toplikar (1-0) earned the win tossing one shutout inning in relief with one strikeout. Ryan Lillie recorded his first save of the season after collecting the final five outs and tallying three strikeouts.

The Bruins scored the first run of the game in the second inning as Amaral hit a RBI-single up the middle to plate Ryan Kreidler. UCLA extended its lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning when Kreidler hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Nick Valaika.

Brian Gadsby (1-1) suffered the loss allowing one run in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen with two strikeouts.

UCLA finished with two runs on five hits with one error. UC Riverside ended the game with three runs on two hits with two errors.

The Bruins will continue their seven-game homestand to start the season on Friday when they begin a three-game series with Gonzaga at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. (PT).