As the season passes the midway point, the inconsistencies keep mounting for the UCLA baseball team.
After putting the official finishing touches on a 22-2 win over Cal State Northridge earlier in the day, the mercurial Bruins (18-14, 3-3 Pac-10) were punchless in the regularly scheduled contest, falling 4-0 to the Matadors (15-17, 4-5 Big West).
After scoring a total of 32 runs off 51 hits in the three-game sweep over UC Riverside last weekend, the Bruin offense was dormant in the loss to Northridge, managing only four hits. The top four hitters in the lineup, who fared so well in the Riverside series going a combined 15-for-22, went a measly 1-for-15.
Coach John Savage summed his team’s offensive woes.
“Well, they handled us,” Savage said. “I thought their pitching really dominated us, and we didn’t get a whole lot going. I thought we did a good job on the mound as well with (Garett) Claypool and (J.D.) Haver. We held them to two earned runs. We just didn’t get any offense going tonight. It was just one of those nights.”
Claypool (1-1) started on the mound for the Bruins and did not appear as sharp as his previous outings, lasting 3.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) off four hits while striking out two and walking four.
“Claypool did a nice job, but he walked four guys, and that’s just too many guys,” Savage said. “Whenever you walk four guys in three innings, you’re asking for problems.”
The Matadors scored single runs in the first, fourth, fifth and eighth innings.
“I don’t know if guys were relaxed because we just beat them 22-2 or what the deal was, but we just didn’t play hard,” catcher Ryan Babineau said. “It’s not hard to play hard everyday. I think guys just got to stay in mentally regardless of who we’re playing.”
One positive that the Bruins took from the game was the performance of relief pitcher J.D. Haver. Coming into the game, Haver had made two appearances with an ERA of 6.75. Yet the sophomore turned in a solid performance, lasting 3.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) off two hits while striking out a career-high three batters.
“J.D. really attacked the zone and competed with each pitch,” Savage said. “You’re talking about a guy that hasn’t pitched very much who really stepped up.”
Earlier in the day, the Bruins and Matadors finished the game from Feb. 26 that was suspended in the middle of the eighth inning due to the absence of lights. The Bruins came into the game with a 22-2 lead, and that proved to be the final score, yet they were unable to transfer that same type of offensive power into the second game.
When asked if finishing that game had any affect on the team’s play in the second game, Babineau believed that it shouldn’t have had any affect.
“I know, personally, if it does then you’re thinking the wrong thing because when you have a double header like that, you have to know that you have to clear your thoughts from game one to game two,” Babineau said. “And if you allow game one to affect how you play in game two, then what happened to us, that’s going to happen. We just have to know how to separate the games, mentally and physically, and like I said, play hard.”
CURTIS WEARS NO. 42: In honor of Jackie Robinson day, Jermaine Curtis wore the No. 42 jersey, the jersey number that Robinson wore during his time with the UCLA Bruins and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
“I was very honored,” Curtis said. “Jackie Robinson Stadium, seeing his picture out there in right-center, his number in right-field, I couldn’t be any happier. I know the loss, but it was an honor to Jackie. It was just like the big-leaguers; they’re all wearing them right now. For me to be a part of that, I’m just honored.”