For a 13-game baseball home stand that has been a roller coaster of a ride, it was only fitting that the final game would follow suit.
After surrendering an early 5-0 lead through the first six innings, the Bruins (20-16, 4-5 Pac-10) let UNLV (18-21, 7-8 Mountain West) back into the game, which tied the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Yet the Bruins came out on top 8-7 in the bottom of the 11th inning, as pinch hitter Mickey Weisser hit an 0-2 pitch up the middle with two outs, driving in shortstop Brandon Crawford for the game-winning run.
“My previous pinch hits I’ve been striking out,” Weisser said. “I just shortened up my stroke, tried to put it in play, make something happen and fortunately it got through.”
Scoring the winning run was Crawford, who proved to be the everyman for the Bruins.
With one out and two men on and the Bruins clinging to a 7-6 advantage, Crawford came into the game in relief of Jason Novak to face the Rebels’ best hitter, first baseman Xavier Scruggs. Prior to the at-bat, Scruggs was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Crawford battled with Scruggs, challenging him with his fastball that reached the low 90s. With the count full, Crawford blew a fastball by Scruggs, striking him out for the second out of the inning.
But the game did not end there.
The next batter, Braden Walker, drove in the game-tying run with a single to right field.
After going scoreless in the ninth and 10th innings, the Bruins broke through in the bottom of the 11th inning with two outs.
Crawford doubled to center field, and after first baseman was intentionally walked, Weisser came to the plate. Down 0-2 in the count, Weisser hit the next pitch up the middle, scoring Crawford and winning the game for the Bruins.
“I think it was the fastest I’ve ever run,” Crawford said. “It was a huge at-bat by Mickey.”
Lost amid the drama of the walk-off hit was a quality start from sophomore Garret Claypool. Claypool pitched a career-high six innings, allowing no runs off three hits while striking out three.
UCLA seemed to be well on its way to closing out the home stand with a comfortable win, scoring five runs in the first three innings.
Yet the Bruins failed to score again until the seventh inning, while the normally reliable bullpen surrendered seven runs in the seventh through ninth innings.
“We hit really well to start and then we kind of sat around and just waited, waited around and they came back,” Crawford said.
In the end it was the Bruins on top, thanks in large part to Crawford’s heroics. He had never pitched before Tuesday, but went 2.2 innings, allowing two hits while striking out four to earn his first career win.
It was a fitting way to end such a wild home stand, with Crawford, one of the nation’s top shortstops, on the pitcher’s mound.
“(It was) an incredible performance by an unbelievable athlete,” Savage said. “(He) really competed. It’s kind of funny seeing him in the win column.”