UCLA
6-2
Michigan
4-4
UCLA Rides Early Lead to 9-4 Win Over Michigan
March 01, 2023 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ Junior third baseman Kyle Karros hit a solo homer and scored four times to lead No. 12 UCLA past Michigan, 9-4, on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Karros led a balanced offensive attack for the Bruins (6-2), as six different batters drove in at least one run.
UCLA never trailed in the contest, rallyingย for two runs in the bottom of the first and ultimately building a 9-0 lead by the end of the sixth.
Michigan (4-4) produced all of its offense in the eighth inning, most of which came on a three-run home run from first baseman Jake Marti.
The Bruins used nine pitchers in the contest, with the group taking a collective one-hitter into the eighth inning.
Freshman righty Michael Barnett drew the start, going a career-long three innings while allowing just one hit and striking out a pair.
Standouts from the bullpen included Chris Aldrich, who tossed a scoreless fourth and earned the win to improve to 2-0, Finn McIlroy, who struck out the side in order in the fifth, and Charles Harrison, who got the final four outs โ all via the strikeout โ of the game after Michigan put up a four-spot.
The Bruins drew 11 walks total on that night, and took advantage of Michigan wildness to go ahead in the first. After Karros and sophomore second baseman Duce Gourson both reached on free passes, senior catcher Darius Perry opened the scoring by shooting a soft liner the other way into shallow right-center to plate a run. Carson Yates then drove a liner down the right field line and off the glove of Michigan's right fielder for an RBI double.
Karros teed off on a 2-1 offering to lead off the third inning, sending it over the left field fence for his third home run of the year. The roundtripper made it 3-0 in favor of the Bruins.
The Bruins broke it open the next frame, plating four runs. UCLA once again took advantage of the free pass, with the first two batters of the inning reaching via walk before Cody Schrier loaded the bags with a liner that hit the second base umpire. UCLA cashed in all three of those runners โ with Gourson ripping a liner past the Michigan first baseman to highlight that sequence โ and scored another one on a wild pitch before the inning expired.
UCLA continues a five-game homestand this weekend, hosting Tulane, Sacramento State, and USC in the Southern California College Baseball Classic. The Bruins open the tourney against Tulane on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Aldrich, Chris (2-0)
L: Denner (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Voit 1
HR: Marti 1
RBI: Buckley 1 ; Marti 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Gasser 1 ; Burton 1 ; Buckley 1 ; Marti 1
HBP: Sotres 1
Batting:
2B: Yates, Carson 1
HR: Karros, Kyle 1
RBI: Reyes, Daylen 1 ; Karros, Kyle 2 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Perry, Darius 1 ; Yates, Carson 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Karros, Kyle 4 ; Gourson, Duce 2 ; Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 1
SB: Knight, Malakhi 1
CS: Knight, Malakhi 1
HBP: Schrier, Cody 1
