The UCLA baseball team pulled an upset Tuesday night, winning at
Long Beach State 6-3.
The Bruins entered the game on a three-game losing streak, but
snapped it, improving their record to 6-9 and beating a ranked team
in the No. 15 Dirtbags (9-5).
UCLA had not won a game at Long Beach’s Blair Field since
1995.
The UCLA offense had been in a slump heading into Tuesday,
having only scored 11 runs in its previous five games. It
didn’t take long for the Bruins to break out of that slump,
however, as freshman Cody Decker hit a two-run homer in the top of
the first inning.
It was Decker’s second career home run in only his eighth
at-bat this season.
In the second inning, UCLA freshman catcher Ryan Babineau added
a sacrifice fly to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead before they exploded
with a big fifth inning.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford and right fielder Chris Jensen both
hit back-to-back RBI doubles, which were followed later in the
inning with an RBI single by third baseman Jermaine Curtis.
The Bruins’ strength so far this season has been their
pitching, and that continued Tuesday night. Brian Schroeder had a
quality start, throwing seven innings and allowing only three runs
on four hits. Schroeder started the game by retiring the first nine
batters he faced before allowing two runs in the fourth inning.
Later, Schroeder allowed a run in the fifth inning but
didn’t allow a hit after that in scoreless sixth and seventh
innings.
Schroeder has worked as a starter and reliever so far this
season, starting all three Tuesday games and pitching in relief on
the weekends. He has pitched effectively in all of his starts, not
giving up more than three runs in either one.
Jason Novak and Paul Oseguera combined to pitch a scoreless
eighth for the Bruins.
Oseguera recorderd a rarity, getting credit for two-thirds of an
inning despite facing only one batter. He came into the game with
one out and runner on first and induced Dirtbag Tito Cruz to ground
into a double play.
In the ninth, UCLA coach John Savage opted to use team ace
Hector Ambriz instead of normal closer Brant Rustich, who suffered
a blister in the Bruins’ game this past Sunday.
Ambriz earned the save by getting all three batters he faced
out, two of them on strikeouts, to end the game.
Next on the schedule for the Bruins is a three-game series at
North Carolina State from Friday to Sunday. The Wolfpack are 13-1
and ranked No. 17 in the nation. Tuesday, North Carolina State beat
High Point 12-3 to extend its winning streak to seven games.