UCLA
11-0
Illinois
5-4
Bruins Rout Illinois, 14-1, to Finish Frisco Classic
March 01, 2020 | Baseball
FRISCO, Texas โ The No. 8-ranked UCLA baseball team was crowned the de facto champion of the 2020 Frisco College Classic after routing Illinois 14-1 on Sunday to complete an undefeated weekend at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
The Bruins (11-0) were the lone team to go undefeated over the weekend, and ended the tournament outscoring their opponents 32-4 and out-hitting them 43-8. A day after banging out a season-high 14 hits, UCLA recorded new season-highs in both runs (14) and hits (17) on Sunday.
The Illini dropped to 5-4 overall after picking up wins over ranked opponents in the first two days of the Frisco College Classic.
UCLA fell behind early after Illinois plated a run in the top of the first, but the Bruins responded with 14 unanswered runs to clinch the victory. UCLA led for good after putting up a two-spot in the bottom of the second, and the team has now trailed for a total of just three innings overall this season.
Offensively, the Bruins produced multi-run rallies in five of their offensive innings, including a pair of four-spots.
Sophomore shortstop Matt McLain led the way with the bats on Sunday, going 4-6 and matching a career-high with four RBIs. The No. 8 and 9 hitters in the lineup โ sophomore second baseman Mikey Perez and senior catcher Will McInerny โ combined to go 5-6 with six runs scored and three RBIs. Perez reached base four times and became the first Bruin to score five runs since Chase Strumpf against USC on Apr. 21, 2017.
Other standouts included junior center fielder Garrett Mitchell (2-5, four RBIs, three runs) and Pat Caulfield (2-5, two runs). Eight of nine UCLA starters collected a hit in the game, and the one who didn't (Jake Moberg) reached base three times.
Perez sparked the go-ahead and game-winning rally for the Bruins in the bottom of the second, ripping a liner inside the third base bag and into the left field corner for a run-scoring double. He would come around to score the first of his five runs โ and the eventual game-winner โ minutes later as Will McInerny went back up the middle for a base hit.
UCLA created separation with a four-run, five-hit fifth. Perez was the catalyst for that inning as well, going the opposite way for a leadoff double into the right-center field gap. A hit parade ensued after that two-bagger, with Mitchell, McLain, and Kyle Cuellar (1-3) recording RBI singles during the rally.
The Bruins followed with two runs apiece in both the sixth and seventh, then put the game on ice with another four-spot in the eighth, a rally highlighted by a two-run base hit from Mitchell.
UCLA starter Jesse Bergin settled down after a hiccup in the first inning, ultimately surrendering just one earned over five innings with six strikeouts. He earned the decision to move to 3-0 on the young campaign.
The Bruin bullpen followed with another standout performance, holding the Illini without a baserunner for the final four innings of the game.
Junior righty Michael Townsend was especially impressive, striking out four of the five batters he faced. Senior Kyle Mora and Holden Powell closed out the game with 1-2-3 innings.
The Bruins continue a four-game road swing on Tuesday night with a non-conference midweek at Big West-member UC Santa Barbara. The Bruins and Gauchos will be facing off for the first time since 2016.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bergin, Jesse (3-0)
L: Maldonado (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Comia 1 ; Sarver 1
RBI: Sarver 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson 1
SB: Jackson 1
Batting:
2B: Caulfield, Pat 1 ; Perez, Mikey 2
RBI: Mitchell, Garrett 4 ; Silva, Jarron 1 ; McLain, Matt 4 ; Schwartz, JT 1 ; Cuellar, Kyle 1 ; Perez, Mikey 1 ; McInerny, Will 2
SH: Silva, Jarron 1
SF: Mitchell, Garrett 1 ; McInerny, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mitchell, Garrett 3 ; McLain, Matt 1 ; Moberg, Jake 1 ; Prendiz, Jordan 1 ; Caulfield, Pat 2 ; Perez, Mikey 5 ; McInerny, Will 1
SB: Mitchell, Garrett 1
HBP: Perez, Mikey 1
