If there’s one thing that’s clear about UCLA baseball through 17 games, it’s this: The Bruins are at their best in close games.
“I like the tight games,” said coach John Savage earlier this season. “We’re pretty comfortable in close games.”
UCLA (10-7, 2-0 Pac-12) won yet another one-run decision on Saturday afternoon, defeating Washington State 6-5 in 12 innings. The win improved the Bruins’ record to 5-0 in one-run games this year; UCLA was 8-6 in such games last season.
Though Saturday’s game ended in UCLA’s favor, the Bruins didn’t hold a lead until their final at-bat. Before that, it was Washington State’s game to lose.
The Cougars (7-11, 0-2) jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first five innings, tagging UCLA starter Grant Dyer for two home runs and two doubles.
Dyer – in his first start since injuring his oblique on Feb. 26 – showed some rust, hitting two batters and allowing nine baserunners through 4.1 innings. During one stretch in the second inning, the junior threw eight straight balls.
Outside of that short struggle with control, however, Dyer was pretty strong. He only walked one batter overall and struck out eight. When he left the game in the fifth inning, the Bruins were trailing 4-1, but still within striking distance.
The three-run deficit proved indeed to be manageable for the Bruins, as they battled back to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning. The frame began with a pair of one-out walks, setting up sophomore first baseman Sean Bouchard for his second crucial hit in many days.
Just like he did in the sixth inning on Friday night, Bouchard launched a ball deep into the right-field corner, just beyond the reach of the diving Washington State right fielder. The double scored two runs, bringing UCLA to a 4-3 deficit. A wild pitch by Washington State later in the inning allowed the Bruins to tie the game.
The teams traded runs in the seventh, with Bouchard once again stepping up clutch with a game-tying RBI single.
After a stalemate of nearly five innings, junior outfielder Brett Stephens broke the 5-5 tie with a walk-off RBI single to right field in the 12th. The hit broke a 0-for-6 streak for Stephens that dated back to the end of Friday’s game.
Notes
-Saturday’s game was a case of big-ball vs. small-ball. The Cougars slugged .457 for the game, while the Bruins tallied just one extra-base hit in 56 plate appearances. UCLA did most of its damage via the walk – the Bruins drew 14 free passes on the day.
-Though there was a large disparity in extra-base hits, the timing of those extra-base hits was key. Washington State had three solo homers, while UCLA’s lone extra-base hit – the sixth-inning double by Bouchard – came with two runners on base.
-UCLA freshman closer Brian Gadbsy had one of his best appearances of the season. Though it wasn’t a save situation, Gadbsy was key in keeping the game tied at 5-5 from the ninth inning onward. The freshman threw nearly 75 percent of his pitches for strikes and didn’t allow a single baserunner through his 3.1 innings of relief work.