UCLA
16-5, 6-2
Washington
16-6, 4-2
UCLA Edged in Washington Rubber Match, 11-10
March 26, 2023 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 7-ranked UCLA baseball team was edged in a rubber-match shootout by Washington, 11-10, on Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The Bruins (16-5, 6-3 Pac-12) led the game 3-2 after five innings, but had to play catch up after Washington (16-6, 4-2) built a big lead with a seven-run seventh.
UCLA ultimately plated seven runs of its own in the seventh and eighth innings to get back within one, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Junior left fielder Carson Yates and junior right fielder JonJon Vaughns provided the power in the Bruins' comeback charge, hitting three-run homers in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. The latter brought the Bruins within two at 11-9.
UCLA continued to rally after the Vaughns homer, bringing in another run and loading the bases on three walks and a Malakhi Knight RBI single. The Bruins would ultimately leave the bags full though after Cody Schrier hit a sharp line drive right at the second baseman for the final out of the inning.
The Bruins then went down in order in the ninth against Washington closer Case Matter.
UCLA starter Kelly Austin was solid for the Bruins, scattering nine hits for two earned runs against over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight, matching a career high.
The Bruins produced a go-ahead three-spot in the fourth inning. Each of the first three batters in that frame reached and later scored, with Schrier putting the Bruins on the board with an RBI single to left-center to plate Yates. Another run would come in on a Jack Holman sac to left field, and Vaughns capped the rally with an opposite field RBI single to left.
Washington was led by shortstop Cam Clayton (4-6, two RBIs), first baseman Will Simpson (3-5, HR, three RBIs), and catcher Johnny Tincher (3-6, two doubles, two RBIs).
UCLA plays its next five games on the road, starting on Tuesday night at Cal State Fullerton. First pitch from Goodwin Field is set for 6:00 p.m. PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boyle, Sam (3-0)
L: Aldrich, Chris (3-1)
S: Matter, Case (4)
Batting:
2B: Simpson, Will 1 ; Tincher, Johnny 2 ; Morales, Coby 1 ; Chandler, Dalton 1 ; Miller, Cole 1
HR: Simpson, Will 1
RBI: Clayton, Cam 2 ; Simpson, Will 3 ; Tincher, Johnny 2 ; Guerrero, AJ 2 ; Chandler, Dalton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Clayton, Cam 2 ; Simpson, Will 2 ; Tincher, Johnny 1 ; Morales, Coby 1 ; Guerrero, AJ 1 ; Snyder, Michael 1 ; Ybarra, Jeter 1 ; Chandler, Dalton 1 ; Miller, Cole 1
SB: Tincher, Johnny 1
Batting:
HR: Yates, Carson 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 1
RBI: Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Yates, Carson 3 ; Schrier, Cody 1 ; Holman, Jack 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 4
SH: Loposer, Knox 1
SF: Holman, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Yates, Carson 2 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Schrier, Cody 1 ; Holman, Jack 1 ; Perry, Darius 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 1 ; Loposer, Knox 2
CS: Gourson, Duce 1
