Gerrit Cole is back on track.
The UCLA junior All-American pitcher who gave up five hits in a loss to San Jose State a week ago threw nine shutout innings Friday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers to lead the Bruins to a 1-0 win in front of 1,122 fans braving the 30 degree temperature at Nebraska’s Haymarket Park.
It was the second time in his career that he has thrown the full nine innings. The other instance was in another 1-0 UCLA win, its season-opener against San Francisco. This time around, Cole got by with a little help from his bullpen.
A two-out single from sophomore left fielder Cody Keefer in the top of the ninth didn’t amount to a run for No. 5 UCLA (7-2) and Cole quickly gave up a hit in the bottom of the ninth, only to strike out Nebraska (6-4) sophomore right fielder Josh Scheffert with the bases loaded to end the inning and his day on the mound.
Cole had a perfect game going through six innings and finished the outing with eight strikeouts.
UCLA coach John Savage then turned to his ever-reliable bullpen, inserting freshman closer Nick Vander Tuig in the top of the 10th. Vander Tuig did his part, allowing just one hit in the final two innings.
The Bruin bats finally answered the call in the 11th, capitalizing on their first real chance to score since the first inning. After a single to center, junior second baseman Tyler Rahmatulla scooted to third base on a Nebraska throwing error. Junior infielder Dean Espy lined a too-hot-to-handle single at Nebraska senior pitcher Casey Hauptman who could not hang on to it.
Vander Tuig struck out two in the 11th to get the win for the Bruins, his first of the season.