Strength up the middle of the diamond is an asset in baseball.
But then again, so is seasoned experience in clutch situations.
If the UCLA baseball series against the No. 21 Miami Hurricanes
was any indication, it is that coach John Savage has a lot of
talent at the core of his baseball club. How much that talent
continues to mature in definitive moments will determine the
success of his team.
The Bruins (2-4) were clipped by the Hurricanes (5-2) on Sunday
5-2, dropping the second of two losses in a series of three games
that at once offered a glimpse into the untapped potential of their
young players while still showing how much they have to grow before
becoming one of the elite teams.
“Anybody who watched the series could see the positives we
can take from the weekend,” Savage said. “We are
encouraged but not satisfied by any means.”
In the opening game on Friday night, UCLA’s 3-1 loss to
Miami was defined by both team’s strength up the middle of
the field, as UCLA junior pitcher Hector Ambriz and Miami sophomore
Carlos Guttierez were intertwined in a pitching duel that put added
weight on manufacturing runs. What made the difference in the game
was the Hurricanes’ experienced players coming through in
difficult situations and the Bruins’ younger players
experiencing some growing pains.
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, UCLA’s
freshman catcher Ryan Babineau was at-bat with runners on second
and third with only one out. A sacrifice fly or well-placed ground
out would have tied the game. But Babineau was caught off guard
with a series of breaking balls and struck out, stranding the
runners and sealing the loss.
Saturday’s come-from-behind 7-4 win evened the series and
illustrated exactly why Babineau and freshman center fielder Tim
Murphy have solidified their starting roles. Both fueled the
Bruins’ four-run eighth inning rally against reliever Raudel
Alfonso, tagging him with the loss. Babineau finished 2-4 with a
pair of RBIs.
“I think there are some growing pains with execution
situations,” Savage said. “But we are excited about our
freshmen’s progress.”
The rubber match was highlighted once again by the dazzling play
up the middle, this time by Murphy and Miami junior center fielder
John Jay. Murphy had a surefire extra base hit, and possibly even a
home run, taken away by his counterpart when Jay made a leaping
grab up against the right-center field wall in the bottom of the
eighth inning.
“I though it was gone off the bat,” Murphy said.
“I put a good swing on a fastball ““ what I was looking
for. Jay just made a great play on it.”
UCLA’s double-play tandem of freshman shortstop Brandon
Crawford and senior second baseman Sean Smith kept the Bruins in
the game with their stellar defense, as Savage referred to their
performance as a “fielding clinic.”
Junior pitcher Tyson Brummett gave up five runs (four earned)
over 7.1 innings of work.
“The key was just getting ahead and locating my
fastball,” Brummett said. “When you do that,
you’ll have success, and when you don’t, it can cause
trouble.”
But the Bruins managed just six hits, and when the few scoring
opportunities arose, there was little production. UCLA mounted a
ninth-inning rally, loading the bases with one out and the winning
run at the plate in Smith. After lacing a line drive down the left
field line that was just foul, however, Smith pulled a curveball on
the outer third of the plate and grounded into a game-ending double
play.