UCLA
7-1
UCLA at CSUN
5-4
No. 3 UCLA Outlasts CSUN For 4-3 Win
February 26, 2019 | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. โ No. 3 UCLA took advantage of a critical throwing error to plate the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and outlast CSUN for a 4-3 win on Tuesday afternoon at Matador Field.
After the Matadors (5-4) scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead, UCLA (7-1) needed to rally in the late innings to preserve its undefeated record in the state of California.
Rally they did.
In the half inning after CSUN took the lead, the Bruins immediately responded to tie the game. Junior left fielder Jeremy Ydens singled with two outs and then stole second before coming in on an RBI base hit from junior shortstop Ryan Kreidler to make it 3-3.
UCLA would go up for good in the eighth. Matt McLain started the rally with a base hit back up the middle, later swiping second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.
That steal turned out to be crucial, as with the open base CSUN decided to intentionally walk the speedy Garrett Mitchell. During the following at-bat, with pinch-hitter Jack Stronach at the plate, both McLain and Mitchell attempted to advance on a ball in the dirt. Both looked like they would advance easily, but CSUN catcher Sean Skelly still tried to gun down Mitchell at second base. Instead, the throw caromed off Mitchell into shallow center field, allowing McLain to easily cross the plate.
With the one-run lead, UCLA turned to its lock-down late-innings duo of Kyle Mora and Holden Powell to shut the door. Mora went 1-2-3 in the eighth, and Powell worked around a leadoff walk to preserve the victory in his first save opportunity since Opening Day.
The Bruins had previously posted a pair of runs to take an early lead in the third inning. McLain made the Matadors pay for walking the bases loaded in the frame, as he rolled a base hit through the left side to bring in two runs. They represented the team-leading eighth and ninth RBIs of the campaign for the freshman center fielder.
The sixth-inning rally by CSUN spoiled what would have been the first career victory for Nick Nastrini, who was outstanding for the second consecutive week in a Tuesday role.
The freshman right-hander allowed just three hits over five shutout innings, striking out five Matador batters.
He book-ended his outing by dancing out of jams in the first and fifth innings. In the latter frame, he negated back-to-back singles to lead off the inning by inducing a weak lineout, striking out Daniel Clarke on three pitches, and then getting leadoff hitter Robert Bullard to roll over on a ground ball to first baseman Michael Toglia.
He was sterling in the middle three innings of his outing, retiring nine of 10 batters and allowing just one baserunner, via a walk.
The San Diego native has now gone 10 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run to start his career, spanning three appearances and two starts.
With a 1-2-3 seventh before UCLA re-took the lead, redshirt senior Nate Hadley earned the win to move to 2-0 on the year. He also received the decision in last Tuesday's 5-0 shutout of Loyola Marymount.
Ydens, Kreidler, and McLain led the Bruin offense on Tuesday with two hits apiece. The win snapped a three-game skid for UCLA at Matador Field.
CSUN manufactured all its offense in the sixth, stringing together four singles along with a walk and a hit-by-pitch to plate three runs. The rally could have been bigger for the home squad, as they had the bases loaded and just one out for before freshman righty Jacky Filby rolled up an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
After four straight road contests, the Bruins return to Jackie Robinson Stadium for a six-game homestand starting this weekend as they host Sacramento State. The first of the three-game set is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 2:00 p.m. game on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. game on Sunday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hadley, Nathan (2-0)
L: Traxel, Blaine (0-1)
S: Powell, Holden (2)
Batting:
RBI: Kreidler, Ryan 1 ; McLain, Matt 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ydens, Jeremy 2 ; Pries, Jake 1 ; McLain, Matt 1
SB: Ydens, Jeremy 2 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1 ; McLain, Matt 1
HBP: Moberg, Jake 1
Batting:
RBI: Skelly, Sean 1 ; Ghan-Gibson, Wesley 1 ; Lucas, Andrew 1
SH: Doremus, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bohning, Brandon 1 ; Bortolin, Angelo 1 ; Elder, Austin 1
HBP: Bullard, Robert 1 ; Ghan-Gibson, Wesley 1
