UCLA baseball won another close one Friday night, taking down Arizona 4-3 to even the series at one apiece.
The victory pushed the No. 18 Bruins’ (12-9, 4-1 Pac-12) record in one-run games to a perfect 6-0 this season. Strong performances out of junior starting pitcher Grant Dyer and sophomore first baseman Sean Bouchard gave UCLA sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 as the Bruins edged out the Wildcats (16-7, 2-3).
UCLA had already taken and lost the lead twice by the time the Bruins came to bat in the ninth. With the game tied 3-3, junior designated hitter Kort Peterson reached on a two-out single and then stole second. Bouchard drove a 2-2 pitch into right field to knock in Peterson and give Dyer the lead again.
Dyer pitched the first complete game of his career in just his second start since missing three weeks with an oblique injury. The right hander fanned seven, walked two and allowed three runs – two earned – on 114 pitches.
After Arizona got a complete game of their own Friday, the Wildcats had to get creative to squeeze nine innings out of their staff Saturday. Third baseman Bobby Dalbec and left fielder Alfonso Rivas III each vacated their usual positions to pitch in relief. Dalbec – who hits third in the lineup – got tagged with the loss.
Hits like Bouchard’s go-ahead RBI single in the ninth have become a common occurrence for the Bruins lately. In his last six games, the first baseman is batting .458 (11-for-24) with 11 RBI.
Additionally, redshirt senior Eric Filia went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk Friday, meaning the right fielder has reached base safely in every one of UCLA’s 20 games this season.
Freshman Kyle Molnar will take the hill for the Bruins Saturday at 1 p.m. for the rubber game. Arizona said Dalbec would pitch Saturday’s game, but that announcement was made days before he threw two innings in relief Friday night.