The Bruins remain perfect in midweek games.
No. 1 UCLA baseball (24-6, 9-3 Pac-12) defeated No. 18 UC Irvine (21-6, 5-1 Big West) 9-3 at Jackie Robinson Stadium to increase its Tuesday winning streak to six. This marks the first time since 2015 that the Bruins have gone this deep into the season without a midweek loss.
Tuesday games – which coach John Savage also calls “tuneups” – are viewed as chances to make improvements before a three-game weekend series by the Bruins. Savage said the games are significant opportunities for his team to get better each week.
“We take a lot of pride in (midweek) games,” Savage said. “(UC Irvine) is a very good team, so this was a big night for us.”
Almost all of UCLA’s damage came early in the game, with seven runs scored by the end of the third frame. Sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell and junior first baseman Michael Toglia led the way with two hits apiece during that span.
The Anteaters, however, got on the board in the top of the first when first baseman Adrian Damla hit a two-RBI double down the right field line off freshman right-hander Jesse Bergin. Mitchell said the 2-0 deficit was actually convenient since the Bruins approach every inning like they’re losing by two runs, regardless of the actual score.
“(Assistant) coach (Bryant) Ward always talks about playing like you’re two runs down, and it’s kind of funny that we were down two runs in the first inning,” Mitchell said. “Having that mindset of going out there and trying to get on base was all we were trying to do.”
Mitchell led off the bottom of the first with a single to left field and was driven in by junior second baseman Chase Strumpf two at-bats later to cut into the Anteaters’ lead.
The Bruins followed with three runs in both the second and third. Despite batting around the lineup in the second, the Bruins recorded only one hit.
Toglia led off the inning with a single to left field, but the Bruins reached base only via three hit-by-pitches and two walks for the rest of the frame.
“We don’t necessarily need to be getting hits to be scoring runs if we’re having good at-bats,” Mitchell said. “Hit-by-pitches, walking, sac-flies – whatever it takes.”
Toglia tied the game at two when he crossed home on a wild-pitch. During that same at-bat, Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Bruins the lead for good.
Junior left fielder Jack Stronach was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the Bruins’ third run of the inning.
The Bruins scored more conventionally in the third, starting with a ground-rule RBI double by freshman catcher Noah Cardenas that bounced off the warning track in left field. Mitchell followed with an RBI single to left and junior third baseman Ryan Kreidler hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-2.
Another two runs were added in the seventh when freshman infielder Mikey Perez hit a pinch-hit RBI single to left-center and Kreidler manufactured his second sacrifice fly of the night.
On the mound for the Bruins, Bergin made his third-consecutive Tuesday start. After taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning against CSUN a week ago, the freshman said it was difficult to get comfortable during his two-run first inning.
“It took a little longer than I expected to find some rhythm and momentum,” Bergin said. “After the defense picked me up and the offense started going, it was easier for me to relax a little more and get into my groove.”
After the first frame, Bergin pitched four scoreless innings and ended his night striking out seven, walking three and allowing two runs on four hits.
Despite one run and one hit allowed by junior right-hander Felix Rubi in the ninth, the Anteaters didn’t record a hit against the Bruin bullpen.
UCLA will stay home this weekend as they host No. 8 East Carolina starting Friday at 6 p.m.