UCLA Baseball Loses Series Opener to California, 4-0
May 20, 2011
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LOS ANGELES - The UCLA baseball team dropped a 4-0 decision to California in a Pac-10 ballgame at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night. Right-hander Gerrit Cole was tagged with the loss despite limiting California to one run and six hits through seven innings.
Cole (5-7) recorded six strikeouts and one walk in his 14th start of the season, surrendering one run in the top of the first inning before holding the Golden Bears (30-16, 13-9) scoreless for the next six frames.
California right-hander Erik Johnson (6-2) earned the victory, pitching seven scoreless innings and scattering two hits. Johnson had seven strikeouts and four walks. Left-hander Kyle Porter allowed one hit in two scoreless frames of relief.
The Bruins (29-20, 14-8) suffered their first loss in Pac-10 action since Saturday, April 30.
The Golden Bears were led at the plate by Tony Renda (2-for-5, one RBI) and Chadd Krist (2-for-5, one run), but it was Andrew Knapp's pinch-hit, three-RBI double in the top of the eighth inning to push California ahead, 4-0.
California claimed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring single up the middle by Renda.
In the top of the eighth with the bases loaded, Knapp lined a double past Bruins' left fielder Cody Keefer, clearing the bases to put the Golden Bears ahead by a four-run cushion.
UCLA had chances to tie the game in the fifth and seventh innings, but could not manufacture a hit with a baserunner in scoring position. In the bottom of the fifth with Pat Valaika aboard first base, Jeff Gelalich drew a walk on a ball that raced to the backstop. California catcher Chadd Krist threw out Valaika, who attempted to advance to third base.
In the bottom of the seventh, Marc Navarro led off the inning getting hit by a pitch before getting stranded at third base with two outs.
UCLA resumes its Pac-10 series against California on Saturday afternoon. Game time at Jackie Robinson Stadium is 2 p.m. The Bruins will send right-hander Trevor Bauer to the mound against the visiting Golden Bears.
Game Notes: Gerrit Cole moved into 10th place on the Pac-10 Conference's career strikeouts list, pushing his career total to 356, four ahead of Mark Prior (352, at USC from 2000-2001) ... Cole is now in a tie for fifth place on UCLA's career innings list, having increased his total to 307.0 (tied with Tim O'Neill) ... Cole made his 47th career start, tied for third place on UCLA's all-time games started list with O'Neill (trailing Jim Parque's 50 career starts at second place on the all-time list) ... Beau Amaral, Cody Keefer and Pat Valaika each had one hit for UCLA ... with Friday's loss, UCLA moved into third place in the Pac-10 Conference (three games behind Oregon State and one game behind Arizona State) ... the Bruins have six games remaining on their regular-season schedule, with just two more games at home (Saturday and Sunday versus California).