The UCLA baseball team’s final home game of the season ended perfectly: with Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” resonating from the speakers at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Perhaps even more fitting, the Bruin players that made it happen won’t have the opportunity to hear the celebratory tune again.
After being honored during a pregame ceremony, seniors Gino Aielli, Cody Decker and Dustin Quist, along with academic senior Blair Dunlap, each registered three hits on Senior Day. A pair of senior pitchers ““ left-hander Brendan Lafferty and right-hander Jason Novak ““ combined to throw 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
In their final game at Jackie Robinson Stadium, the seniors did their part to lead UCLA to a 13-10 victory over No. 5 Cal State Fullerton before a season-high crowd of 1,163 on Sunday.
“Sometimes seniors go out and they’re too excited,” coach John Savage said. “But every senior stepped up; you could not draw it up any better.”
The Bruins (26-26) desperately needed to salvage a game after dropping the first two of the nonconference series. In fact, the Bruins were 0-6 at home against the Titans since Savage took the helm in 2005.
But that streak ended Sunday, thanks in large part to an offense that struggled in the losses on Friday and Saturday.
UCLA junior outfielder Gabe Cohen represented the tying run with two outs in the last inning of Friday night’s game at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, but he struck out looking and the Bruins fell 6-3. Then on Saturday night, the Bruins had the go-ahead run just 90 feet from home plate with one out in the eighth inning. Again, UCLA was unable to deliver. Cal State Fullerton (38-14) eventually scored a run in the 10th inning to make it a 6-5 game and earn the series victory.
Yet the Bruin offense ““ led by the seniors ““ bounced back Sunday, jumping all over Titan freshman starting pitcher Tyler Pill from the start. UCLA registered a season-high 19 hits, with each Bruin starter obtaining at least one hit. Six different players recorded multi-hit efforts.
“Anytime you beat Fullerton, it’s a good feeling,” Aielli said. “Every time we play them, we go for their throat.”
“Everyone really wanted (Sunday’s) game,” Decker said. “We went out and played as hard as we could.”
Behind the hard play of their seniors, the Bruins stormed to a quick 7-0 lead after two frames. After back-to-back doubles from Aielli and Decker, junior infielder Casey Haerther capped UCLA’s three-run first inning with a towering home run to left-center field.
In the second inning, Dunlap doubled to drive in Quist, Aielli dropped a run-producing bunt, and Decker smacked a home run that landed among the trees beyond the left-field fence.
Decker’s second home run of the series gave the Bruins a comfortable seven-run edge. It was Decker’s team-leading 19th home run of the season ““ the most for a Bruin since the 2000 season, when three players hit more than 20 home runs.
“For some of us, it was pretty emotional,” Decker said. “I played American Legion (at Jackie Robinson Stadium) before I came to UCLA, so it’s sad that it’s my last (game) here.”
The Bruins close out the regular season with four games this week, all on the road. UCLA plays at No. 1 UC Irvine on Tuesday night and has a three-game weekend series against Pac-10 leader No. 3 Arizona State in Tempe.
“There’s no better way to go out, especially against Fullerton,” Aielli said. “It made it a real special day for everybody. Every senior was a key contributor. I couldn’t ask for more.”