UCLA
9-3
Michigan at UCLA
9-2
No. 2 UCLA Falls to No. 16 Michigan, 7-5
March 08, 2019 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ No. 16 Michigan used a four-run first inning to record a 7-5 victory over No. 2 UCLA on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium in the opening game of Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic weekend.
The Bruins (9-3) outscored the Wolverines (9-2) by a margin of 5-3 after the opening frame, but UCLA's comeback efforts came up just short. ย
Trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Bruins made it a one-run game after junior first baseman Michael Toglia ripped a two-out, bases-loaded triple into the right-center field gap off UM reliever Willie Weiss. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Weiss induced a pop-up from the next batter to end the threat.
Michigan added an insurance run in the eighth, as Joe Donovan doubled and later scored on a wild pitch to produce the game's final scoreline.
UCLA starting pitcher Zach Pettway settled down nicely after his first frame of work. Logging a trio of three-up, three-down innings, Pettway went on to retire 13 of the final 16 batters he faced on Friday night before handing the ball off to senior righty Nate Hadley with two outs in the sixth.
UCLA scored its first two runs in the third inning, breaking a 25-inning scoreless streak for Wolverines starter Tommy Henry.
Sophomore right-fielder Garrett Mitchell was the catalyst for that rally, leading off the frame with a bloop double into shallow left field. ย He came around two batters later on a Matt McLain RBI fielder's choice. McLain himself would score later in the inning, advancing to second on a Henry balk and then reaching home on a solid base hit from junior shortstop Ryan Kreidler.
With a pair of hard-struck singles, Kreidler extended his team-best hitting streak to 12 games to start the year. ย
Michigan's big first inning was started by a bloop double into shallow center field from leadoff hitter Ako Thomas. The Wolverines would go on to string together another three base hits in the frame, capped off by a two-run single from Jesse Franklin.
With six innings of two-run ball and 10 strikeouts, Henry received the decision to move to 4-0 on the year.
UCLA returns to action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Oklahoma State at Jackie Robinson Stadium at 2:00 p.m. The weekend will be capped off with a matchup against crosstown rival USC on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, with the Pac-12 Networks on hand to televise the 3:00 p.m. game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tommy Henry (4-0)
L: Pettway, Zach (0-1)
S: Willie Weiss (4)
Batting:
2B: Ako Thomas 1 ; Jordan Brewer 1 ; Joe Donovan 1
RBI: Miles Lewis 1 ; Jordan Brewer 2 ; Jesse Franklin 2 ; Joe Donovan 1
SF: Jordan Brewer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ako Thomas 1 ; Dominic Clementi 1 ; Jordan Nwogu 1 ; Jimmy Kerr 1 ; Miles Lewis 2 ; Joe Donovan 1
Batting:
2B: McLain, Matt 1 ; Mitchell, Garrett 1
3B: Toglia, Michael 1
RBI: McLain, Matt 1 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1 ; Toglia, Michael 3
Base Running:
RUNS: McLain, Matt 2 ; Kreidler, Ryan 1 ; Pries, Jake 1 ; Mitchell, Garrett 1
SB: Kreidler, Ryan 1
HBP: Strumpf, Chase 1
