It’s generally not good to get out-hit by the other team, but the Bruins will take a win any way they can get it.
UCLA baseball (17-18, 7-9 Pac-12) picked up a 6-3 victory in its opening game against Oregon (17-14, 7-6) Thursday night.
Ducks starting pitcher Matt Krook struggled in the first inning and the Bruins took advantage. The lefty allowed the first five batters he faced to reach base – three by walks, one by a single and one on a hit by pitch.
UCLA only collected one hit that inning, but still took an early 4-0 lead thanks to an RBI single, a bases-loaded walk, a passed ball and an RBI groundout.
Krook got pulled in the second inning and only retired five batters all night.
The Bruins added a pair of runs in the fourth. Freshman catcher Daniel Rosica came around to score on an RBI single by redshirt senior right fielder Eric Filia, who scored later in the inning after a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
Starting pitcher Griffin Canning made another solid start, firing 6 2/3 innings and allowing two earned runs. The sophomore let up six hits – two more than the UCLA offense came up with – but only one big one.
In the fifth, the UCLA ace gave up a two-run shot to Oregon first baseman Phil Craig-St. Louis and walked the next batter. Coach John Savage went to the mound to talk to Canning, who retired the next two batters he faced in order.
Savage visited the mound again in the seventh, and this time he brought the hook. Canning let up a run and loaded the bases, but redshirt junior pitcher Hunter Virant only needed three pitches to induce the groundout that would bail Canning out.
Junior righty Moises Ceja came on to pitch in the ninth, pitching a scoreless inning to seal the win.
Worth nothing
Freshman Daniel Amaral made the start in left field Thursday night, going 0-2 with a run scored, a hit by pitch, and a sacrifice. Savage had previously said that he wanted to work the outfielder in against left-handed starters, and he’ll get two more chances to do so this weekend.
Ceja’s save is the UCLA’s first of the season that was not recorded by freshman Brian Gadsby. Ceja’s 2.12 ERA is over two-and-a-half times better than Gadsby’s 5.64 mark.
Up next
Game two of the three-game set will get going at 7 p.m. Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Junior right-handed pitcher Grant Dyer will face off against Oregon southpaw Cole Irvin, who is 3-3 and has a 4.01 ERA.