UCLA Drops Dons, 4-1, In NCAA Regional Elimination Game
June 5, 2011
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LOS ANGELES - UCLA allowed just two hits in a 4-1 victory over San Francisco in the fifth game of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The win kept the Bruins' postseason hopes alive, as UCLA (35-23) advanced to play UC Irvine at 6 pm tonight in the double-elimination tournament. San Francisco's season ends at 32-25.
Adam Plutko threw 7.2 innings of one-hit baseball for UCLA, striking out six batters and keeping the Dons hitless until the fifth inning. Nick Vander Tuig pitched the final four outs for his team-leading ninth save of the season, allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings.
UCLA claimed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Trevor Brown opened the frame by reaching safely on a high chopper to third base before advancing to second on Steve Rodriguez's sacrifice bunt. A line drive single to left field by Pat Valaika scored Brown.
In the top of the third, the Bruins took advantage of a fielding error and two hits to assume a 3-0 lead. Gelalich opened the frame by reaching second base on a fielding error by first baseman Nik Balog. A single Dean Espy scored Gelalich. After stealing second and tagging up to third, Espy scored on a double down the right-field line by Regis.
The Bruins got an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Gelalich hit a two-out double down the left field line to score Beau Amaral, making the score 4-0.
San Francisco's first hit came in the fifth inning, when catcher Travis Higgs led off with a double. But Plutko got out of the inning unscathed, striking out Ted LeMasters looking and getting two fly outs.
The Dons threatened in the eighth inning, getting runners at first and second with two outs after a walk and error. But Vander Tuig came on in relief and got Pete Lavin to ground out on the first pitch to end the inning.
San Francisco got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after scoring a run on a groundout by Higgs that scored Connor Bernatz. Vander Tuig struck out Matt Chavez looking with runners at the corners to record the final out.