UCLA
20-9, 9-4
Utah
9-23, 4-6
No. 18 UCLA Slugs Past Utah in Series Opener, 16-3
April 13, 2018 | Baseball
SALT LAKE CITY – Jeremy Ydens hit a home run and a double with three runs scored, while Jake Bird allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings of work as the No. 18 UCLA baseball team won the series opener at Utah, 16-3, on Friday from Smith's Ballpark.
UCLA's offense was also led by Michael Toglia with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored and Chase Strumpf finished 2-for-4 while driving in three runs. Daniel Amaral and Ryan Kreidler each drove in two runs for the Bruins as they scored the most runs in a game this season.
Bird (4-2) tossed 7.1 innings for the second-straight game allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts to improve to 3-1 in Pac-12 play.
Utah scored the first run of the game in the first inning, but UCLA responded in the third inning when Ydens hits a deep home run to left field to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bruins took their first lead in the top of the fourth inning as Kreidler split the right-center field gap with a two-out, two-run triple to bring home Amaral and Toglia for the 3-1 advantage.
UCLA jumped out to an 8-1 lead after scoring five runs in the fifth inning. The Bruins loaded the bases and scored their first run when Jake Pries was hit by a pitch, followed by Toglia and Amaral hitting back-to-back two-run doubles for the seven-run lead.
The Utes got one back in the bottom of the sixth but UCLA responded with another five-run inning in the seventh. Kyle Cuellar scored on a wild pitch and Amaral came around to score when Garrett Mitchell hit a ground ball off the pitcher but was retired at first base. Later in the inning, Kevin Kendall drew a bases-loaded walk that led to Strumpf plating the final two runs of the inning with a single through the left side of the infield to go up by 11.
Utah's starter Josh Tedeschi (0-7) suffered the loss allowing eight runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work with four walks and two strikeouts.
UCLA (20-9, 9-4) score 16 runs on 12 hits with one error, while Utah (9-23, 4-6) finished with three runs on seven hits with no errors.
Game two of this Pac-12 series will be played on Saturday starting at noon PT from Smith's Ballpark.
Game Notes: The Bruins scored double-digit runs for the eighth time this year … UCLA drew a season-high 12 walks … Jake Bird tied his career-high with 7.1 innings pitched and seven strikeouts … Jeremy Ydens hit his first home run of the season … Ryan Kreidler collected just the fourth triple of the year for the Bruins … Kreidler registered his fifth multi-RBI game of the season … Michael Toglia now leads the team with 10 multi-hit games, while Ydens recorded his ninth … Chase Strumpf leads the team with nine multi-RBI games this year … Daniel Amaral registered his ninth career multi-RBI game … UCLA is 5-3 on the road this season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bird, Jake (4-2)
L: Tedeschi, J. (0-7)
Batting:
2B: Ydens, Jeremy 1 ; Toglia, Michael 1 ; Amaral, Daniel 1
3B: Kreidler, Ryan 1
HR: Ydens, Jeremy 1
RBI: Ydens, Jeremy 1 ; Kendall, Kevin 1 ; Strumpf, Chase 3 ; Pries, Jake 1 ; Cuellar, Kyle 1 ; Toglia, Michael 3 ; Amaral, Daniel 2 ; Kreidler, Ryan 2 ; Mitchell, Garrett 1
SH: Kendall, Kevin 1
SF: Cuellar, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ydens, Jeremy 3 ; Silva, Jarron 1 ; Kendall, Kevin 1 ; Strumpf, Chase 1 ; Pries, Jake 1 ; Cuellar, Kyle 1 ; Toglia, Michael 2 ; Amaral, Daniel 2 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1 ; Rosica, Daniel 2 ; Teijeiro, RJ 1
SB: Toglia, Michael 1 ; Amaral, Daniel 1
HBP: Pries, Jake 1
Batting:
2B: Gulden, Wade 1
3B: Delorefice 1
RBI: Delorefice 1 ; Richardson,M 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Keirsey 1 ; Dunn, Oliver 1 ; Gulden, Wade 1
CS: Delorefice 1
