UCLA
1-0
Omaha
0-1
UCLA Captures 16-1 Opening Day Win Over Omaha
February 17, 2023 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ Junior third baseman Kyle Karros went 3-4 with a pair of RBIs and Jake Brooks struck out eight over five innings of one-run ball to lead No. 12 UCLA to a 16-1 Opening Day win over Omaha on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After an early deadlock, the Bruins (1-0) went up for good with back-to-back crooked numbers starting in the fourth inning. UCLA put the game out of reach with a 10-run eighth inning against the Omaha (0-1) bullpen.
Karros (3-4, two RBIs, three runs, two walks) and sophomore center fielder Malakhi Knight (2-5) each had multi-hit days for the Bruins. Sophomore shortstop Cody Schrier (1-5, four RBIs) and senior catcher Darius Perry (1-4, three RBIs) both had strong days in the run-production department.
"I thought our at-bats just got better as the game went along," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "The bench did a really good job, our bullpen did a really good job, we got five innings out of our starter. Guys came off the bench and were having great at-bats, we were really passing the baton in the later innings."
After building a 5-1 lead through the end of the fifth inning, UCLA's bullpen combined to shut out the Mavericks the rest of the way.
Schrier had the big hit of UCLA's go-ahead rally in the fourth, lofting a deep fly ball to left with the bases loaded for a three-run double. That RBI knock punished Omaha for allowing free runners earlier in the inning, as UCLA had filled the bags on an error and two walks.
The Bruins added another two runs an inning later, with Perry going the opposite way with the bases loaded for a two-run single.
UCLA had five base hits during its 10-run eighth inning, augmenting the offense by drawing five walks and three hits by pitch. Karros had the key hit of that rally, singling to left-center with the bases loaded to bring in a pair. Freshman outfielders Jarrod Hocking and Toussaint Bythewood walked and singled, respectively, in their debut NCAA plate appearances during that frame.
Omaha got to Brooks for one run in the fifth, but rarely threatened him prior to that.
The Fountain Valley, Calif. native had multiple strikeouts in three of his five frames, opening his 2023 season by fanning the side in the first. He also rolled up an inning-ending double play ball in the third after allowing a pair of soft singles to open that frame.
It was the second consecutive Opening Day start for Brooks, who went five innings and received the win in both.
Right handers Michael Barnett, Cody Delvecchio, Charles Harrison, and Caedon Kottinger each posted a scoreless inning of their own to finish off Omaha.
Delvecchio faced the minimum and Kottinger went 1-2-3 in their frames, with Harrison and Kottinger posting a pair of strikeouts each. Barnett and Delvecchio were making their NCAA debuts.
Omaha was led by Haiden Hunt, Zach Lechnir, and Devin Hurdle, who had two hits apiece. Left-handed starter Caleb Riedel gave up just one hit with six strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings, but got hung with the loss after allowing three unearned runs.
UCLA and Omaha continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brooks, Jake (1-0)
L: Caleb Riedel (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Mike Boeve 1
RBI: Haiden Hunt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Drew Lechnir 1
HBP: Drew Lechnir 1
Batting:
2B: Schrier, Cody 1
RBI: Schrier, Cody 4 ; Salgado, AJ 1 ; Karros, Kyle 2 ; Reyes, Daylen 1 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Perry, Darius 3 ; Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Yates, Carson 1 ; Hocking, Jarrod 1
SF: Perry, Darius 1 ; Yates, Carson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Salgado, AJ 2 ; Karros, Kyle 3 ; Reyes, Daylen 2 ; Gourson, Duce 3 ; Perry, Darius 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Yates, Carson 1 ; Loposer, Knox 1 ; Hocking, Jarrod 1
SB: Salgado, AJ 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1
CS: Schrier, Cody 1
HBP: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Salgado, AJ 1 ; Reyes, Daylen 1 ; Gourson, Duce 1
