UCLA
1-0
UC Riverside
0-1
UCLA Tops UC Riverside 4-2 on Opening Day
February 14, 2020 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ Junior righty Zach Pettway provided six solid innings on the mound and a pair of freshmen came up with critical hits to lead the No. 8 UCLA baseball team to a 4-2 Opening Day win over UC Riverside on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Pettway, who was making his second consecutive Opening Day start, limited the Highlanders to just two runs over six innings to keep the Bruins within striking distance.
That proved critical as freshman second baseman Michael Curialle and redshirt freshman first baseman JT Schwarz each came up with timely hits to push UCLA ahead for good.
In the bottom of the fifth, Curialle crushed a slider over the screen beyond the left field fence for his first career home run, a game-tying two-run shot.
Two innings later, the Bruins got the first two runners of the frame on and Schwartz eventually cashed them both in with a two-out flair to shallow left field.
The Bruin bullpen locked it down from there, with senior righty Kyle Mora and junior closer Holden Powell teaming up to hold down UCR. Mora recorded the first two outs of the eighth before making way for Powell, who notched a four-out save.
"It was a tough game, Riverside played well," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "It was a clean game, I thought we played well defensively. Pitched well - it was somewhat of a typical Jackie Robinson Stadium game at night. A hit here, a play here could decide the game and that's kind of what happened."
Junior reliever Michael Townsend was the pitcher of record, tossing a 1-2-3 seventh inning before Schwartz's go-ahead base hit.
Pettway was impressive all night, scattering five hits and surrendering just two runs. He was punished for one of the few mistakes he made, as UCR's Cole Pofek hit a two-run, line drive home run just over the right-center field fence in the third inning. ย
The Long Beach, Calif. native would eventually strike out eight batters and saw his fastball top out at 91 MPH. He started off the game with a 1-2-3 first inning, then proceeded to strike out the side in the second.
Freshman DH Joshua Hahn rolled a single through the right side in the sixth inning, joining Schwartz and Curialle in collecting their first collegiate hits.
Sophomore Matt McLain, making his first Division I start at shortstop, was 2-3 and reached base a team-high three times. Junior outfielder Garrett Mitchell was 1-3, scored a pair of runs, and stole a base.
UCR was led by Pofel and center fielder Travis Bohall, who each had 2-4 nights. Starting pitcher Cole Percival struck out six and allowed two earned over a six-inning outing.
UCLA and UC Riverside continue the series on Saturday afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. contest. Sophomore right-hander Nick Nastrini is scheduled to start for the Bruins on the mound opposite the Highlanders' Abbott Haffar. ??
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Townsend, Michael (1-0)
L: Ohl, Riley (0-1)
S: Powell, Holden (1)
Batting:
2B: Webb, Nathan 1
HR: Pofek, Cole 1
RBI: Pofek, Cole 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bohall, Travis 1 ; Pofek, Cole 1
Batting:
HR: Curialle, Michael 1
RBI: Curialle, Michael 2 ; Schwartz, JT 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Mitchell, Garrett 2 ; Curialle, Michael 2
SB: Mitchell, Garrett 1 ; McLain, Matt 1 ; Hahn, Josh 1
HBP: Mitchell, Garrett 1
