Eight home runs, 50 hits and 50 runs.
Those were UCLA baseball’s offensive totals through just four games this season, and they added up to the Bruins’ first 4-0 start since 2011.
But this past weekend, with the Bruins traveling across the country to face their first ranked opponent of the season, it seemed unlikely they’d match those video game-like offensive numbers.
Yet they almost did.
No. 11 UCLA put up 40 hits and 26 runs in a two-games-to-one series victory over one of college baseball’s perennial powerhouses, No. 17 North Carolina.
At this point, the team’s hitting uptick can no longer be attributed to luck or a small sample size, said redshirt junior shortstop Kevin Kramer.
“I don’t think it’s a hot streak. I think we’re gonna put up runs consistently throughout the year and give our pitchers some cushion,” Kramer said.
But junior pitcher James Kaprielian said he and the pitching staff need to prevent themselves from becoming too comfortable, as offensive cold spells are likely to arise.
“I think there’s definitely an opportunity for it to continue on, but there’s gonna definitely be times when adversity comes and we’ve just gotta find a way to react and respond,” Kaprielian said.
One of those opportunities took place in the second game against the Tar Heels. UCLA’s offense exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead. But in the bottom half of the inning, freshman pitcher Griffin Canning walked the lead-off man and later allowed the Tar Heels to reclaim the lead.
The Bruins scored a couple of runs later in the game but were unable to overcome their inefficient relief pitching and defense in a 9-6 loss.
As the rubber game approached on Sunday morning, the Bruins’ ability to respond would be tested once again. This time, the offense, pitching staff and defense worked in harmony to produce a dominant 12-4 win.
The Bruins (6-1) jumped out to a 6-0 lead through the first four-and-a-half innings, a lead the pitching staff preserved. The Bruins did allow the Tar Heels (4-2) to score four runs over the final five-and-a-half innings, but for a UCLA team that plated 12 runs Sunday, the bullpen was more than good enough.
“That’s really what’s gonna make us the best team that we can be: is if we’re getting continuously better each practice, each outing, we’re able to learn from what we went through (in) that game and be able to apply it to our next outing,” Kaprielian said.
While the Bruins didn’t exactly match the offensive efficiency from their first four games in this past weekend’s series, they are still far ahead of last year’s pace. Through seven games last year, UCLA scored 29 runs and held a 4-3 record. This year, the team has scored 76 and holds a 6-1 record.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.