Monday, 4/28/97 Bruins save face with victory against USC Win
prevents sweep after two earlier disappointing losses
By Sierra Roberts Daily Bruin Contributor UCLA’s baseball team
prevented an embarrassing weekend sweep Sunday with a powerful 14-4
victory over USC in front of 2,149 fans at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After succumbing to the Trojans (36-18, 17-13 Six-Pac) on Friday
and Saturday, the Bruins (36-13-1, 15-9) needed a win on Sunday to
stay in contention for first place in the division. "We had to get
the lead early just to get us back on track," Head Coach Gary Adams
said. The Bruins did start the scoring early with three runs in the
first inning. A home run by Eric Byrnes started the rally. They
scored four more runs in the second. The Bruins cinched the win in
the sixth inning. Three USC pitchers faced 12 UCLA batters by the
time Byrnes popped out to end the inning. They scored six runs,
including a three-run home run by shortstop Troy Glaus (his 26th of
the season). Sunday was a day of firsts for the Bruins. Peter
Zamora pitched his first complete game, allowing eight hits and
only four runs. He also struck out eight batters.. "I’ve just been
going at guys not caring who they are or what their names are or
what their stats are," Zamora said. "I just throw strikes, and when
you do that your defense will get behind you." Center fielder Eric
Valent hit the first cycle of his career (and the first for the
Bruins this season) with a triple in the first inning, a home run
in the second, a single in the fifth and a double in the sixth. It
was hard to believe that this powerful team lost the previous two
games in this series. Friday, the Bruins committed a season-high
eight errors and blew a 6-5 lead in the eighth. The final score was
10-6. Starting pitcher Tom Jacquez (9-2) took the disappointing
loss for UCLA. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, eight
runs and striking out four. Only four runs were earned. "It was too
bad for Jacquez because he deserved to win that game," Adams said.
The offense was highlighted by Byrnes and Heinrichs, who had three
hits apiece. Saturday the Bruins had even more trouble both
offensively. They were defeated by the Trojans 11-2. Starting
pitcher Jim Parque (11-2) took his second loss of the season. He
allowed 11 hits and eight runs in only three and 2/3 innings of
work. That was his shortest outing of the season. Glaus scored both
runs in the game by hitting an opposite-field home run off the
scoreboard in the first inning. He scored again in the third.
Trojan starting pitcher Seth Etherton allowed seven hits, only two
runs and eight strikeouts in eight innings on the mound. Daily
Bruin Single line photo cutline. UCLA defeats USC 14-4 Baseball