In a dramatic game typical of competitive Pac-10 baseball, UCLA
triumphed over Arizona 9-7, yet again in dramatic come-from-behind
fashion.
Trailing 6-5 heading into the ninth inning, the Bruins (17-13,
2-2 Pac-10) struck for four, behind a game-tying single by right
fielder Matt Thayer, a two-run go-ahead single by first baseman Wes
Whisler and an insurance RBI double by center fielder Josh
Roenicke.
“It was a hard-fought battle, but our defense was superior
and we got some really timely hitting,” coach Gary Adams
said.
The most important play of all in the rally, though, may have
been Arizona third baseman Moises Duran’s error, which should
have been an inning-ending double play, but instead loaded the
bases for Whisler’s hit.
“He had a made-to-order double play,” Adams said.
“He could have just stepped on third and thrown to first, and
he literally booted it.
This marks the third game in a row the Bruins have rallied in
the last innings, and the second in a row that an error keyed the
winning rally.
After UCLA jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind a barrage of singles,
the Wildcats (15-13-1, 4-3) steadily climbed ahead, scoring in
every inning from the fourth through the seventh.
UCLA chipped away in its half of the seventh, when Thayer
tripled and scored on designated hitter Brett McMillan’s
sacrifice fly.
Thayer, the team’s leading active hitter, was the
day’s offensive star with four hits and four runs scored.
Bryan Beck made his first Thursday start of the year and lasted
two outs into the sixth inning, giving up four earned runs in all.
Brant Rustich picked up his third win of the year, and lefty Brian
Schroeder’s third save marked the final out.
“I thought Beck pitched great,” Adams said.
“The only guy he had trouble with was a guy all our pitchers
had trouble with.”
Indeed, Wildcat first baseman Jordan Brown, who hit two home
runs and racked up six RBI, was essentially the entire Wildcat
offensive effort.