The Bruins forgot a lot of things this weekend. They forgot to
be intimidated by the No. 17 team in the country, and they forgot
to be affected by the long trip across the country.
Luckily UCLA remembered to pack its brooms as it went on to
sweep North Carolina State (13-4) in a three-game series. With
their first sweep of the season, and their first road sweep since
2000, the Bruins (9-9) are at .500 for the first time this
season.
“It was quite a weekend,” coach John Savage said.
“All three pieces came together. (We had) defense, pitching,
and timely hitting. It was a fun weekend in front of big
crowds.”
Staff ace Hector Ambriz got UCLA off to a great start Friday
night, allowing 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Ambriz also helped himself
out at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs.
With the Bruins on top 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the
Wolfpack had the bases loaded and its star sophomore Matt Mangini
stepping up to the plate. Junior Paul Oseguera came on in relief
and struck out Mangini ending the inning and the threat.
Oseguera stayed in and finished the game, getting four
strikeouts and his first save of the season in the 7-2 victory.
UCLA’s regular closer Brant Rustich remains out of the
lineup with a blister.
But Saturday’s game was all about freshman infielder
Brandon Crawford, who had a stellar day at the plate, going 4-for-4
with a triple and a two-run home run.
“I was just trying to get on base and set up the
table,” Crawford said. “They were throwing a lot of
fastballs, but the home run was on a change-up.”
With a single, a triple and a home run, Crawford was a double
away from hitting for the cycle.
“Someone had mentioned it to me, so I was thinking about
it,” Crawford admitted. “But at the plate I
wasn’t.”
In a slight change from Friday’s game, UCLA clung to a
much smaller lead on Saturday.
After leaping to a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth on the homer
by Crawford and another from senior Chris Jensen, N.C. State had
shaved the lead down to one by the bottom of the seventh.
The Bruins never let the Wolfpack tie up the game. Junior Dave
Huff got the win after 7 1/3 innings of work, and Osegeura tallied
his second save after retiring the last two batters in the
ninth.
Sunday’s game was full of fireworks from the Bruins’
bats. The Westwood Nine tallied 13 runs on 18 hits, with home runs
from five different players.
“It was definitely something new,” Jensen said.
“We got more aggressive. We don’t want to concede to
being in close games.”
Jensen made sure that didn’t happen, going 2-for-5 with
four RBIs, a double, and a three-run home run. Junior Tyson
Brummett dominated on the hill, throwing eight innings and
recording 12 strikeouts in the win.
With the sweep, the team is on a four-game winning streak going
into a midweek game at Pepperdine prior to a weekend series against
Mississippi at home.
“We’re pretty pumped right now,” Crawford
said.