UCLA
8-1
Sacramento State at UCLA
3-6
No. 3 Bruins Rally for 2-1 Walk-Off Win Over Sac State
March 01, 2019 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – Ryan Kreidler drove in pinch-runner Jordan Prendiz with an opposite field single in the bottom of the ninth-inning to hand No. 3 UCLA a 2-1 walk-off win over visiting Sacramento State on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
UCLA (8-1) was tied with Sac State (3-5) at one-apiece going into the bottom of the ninth, and almost immediately got into business as junior DH Jack Stronach reached on a hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning, then moved into scoring position moments later as Hornets reliever Austin Roberts uncorked a wild pitch.
The next batter, Kreidler, fell behind 0-2 in the count, and it looked like Sac St. might wiggle out of a jam like it had in second, fifth, and eighth innings.
However, after taking a ball to make it 1-2, Kreidler went with an outside fastball and slapped it into the 3-4 gap, setting up a play at the plate. UCLA third base coach Bryant Ward was sending Prendiz – who pinch-ran for Stronach – all the way and Prendiz was able to slide in just under the tag after an on-target throw from Hornets right fielder Trevor Doyle.
The last-minute victory was UCLA's first walk-off of 2019. The Bruins are now 3-1 in one-run games so far in the young season.
The entirety of the game was a pitcher's duel, as UCLA's Zach Pettway and Sac State's Parker Brahms went toe-to-toe for most of the game. Both pitched seven innings and allowed one earned run, with Pettway recording slight advantages in hits allowed (3 to 4) and strikeouts (9 to 8).
The Bruins' struck the first blow of the game in the third, parlaying back-to-back singles to lead off the frame from Kreidler and sophomore shortstop Kevin Kendall into a run on a Jake Pries sac fly to left.
Though the Hornets weren't able to muster many hits off Pettway, DH Martin Vincelli-Simard made one of his count, connecting on a 2-0 fastball and sending it over the left field for a game-tying home run in the seventh. Pettway bounced back after the big fly, retiring the final two batters of his outing including an inning-ending strikeout of Dawsen Bacho.
"Brahms and Pettway were both outstanding," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "They both pitched like Friday night guys. It was a grind. There were a bunch of zeroes, then we get the one and they punch back with the homer. Pettway did a nice job of responding and then Mora did his job with his two innings."
Junior right-hander Kyle Mora added two innings of shutout relief to close out the game, giving him his first win of the year and improving his record to 1-1.
He had to pitch out of a bit of a jam in the ninth, blowing a fastball by Bacho to wipe out a pair of two-out Hornets singles.
Defense was a contributing factor to the low-scoring game. Junior catcher Will McInerny was a standout with the glove for UCLA, throwing out a pair of would-be basestealers including a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play in the fourth inning. Kendall made a nice backhand-and-throw play on a grounder to deep short as part of a 1-2-3 third inning.
Kreidler and Stronach had a pair of base-hits to lead the UCLA offense. Sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell drove a liner over the center fielder's head in the eighth inning for his first triple of the year.
UCLA and Sac State are scheduled to resume the series on Saturday afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. contest.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mora, Kyle (1-1)
L: Roberts, Austin (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Bacho, Dawsen 1
HR: Vincelli-Simard, Mar 1
RBI: Vincelli-Simard, Mar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vincelli-Simard, Mar 1
CS: Torres, Keith 1 ; Bacho, Dawsen 1
Batting:
3B: Mitchell, Garrett 1
RBI: Pries, Jake 1 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1
SH: McInerny, Will 1
SF: Pries, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Prendiz, Jordan 1 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1
HBP: Stronach, Jack 1 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1
