Baseball falls to Arizona twice, but salvages reputation in last
game
By Yoni Tamler
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA baseball team floated into Tucson, Ariz. fueled by the
high of its best conference start in 10 years. But on Sunday night
you can be sure the bus ride back to Westwood was a quiet one.
"This team has high expectations, so when they lose they take it
hard, and I like that quality," an exasperated UCLA head coach Gary
Adams said Saturday afternoon, after their second loss in a
three-game series at Sancet Field this weekend. "They’re not the
type of team that easily shakes off a loss."
Returning to the form which trademarked their 5-1 start in the
Six-Pac, the Bruins (15-9, 6-3 Six-Pac) buckled down to defeat the
Wildcats in Sunday’s game, 12-6.
Pete Zamora (4-0) earned the victory through five and two-thirds
innings, remaining perfect on the season.
UCLA’s win salvaged both the weekend and the team’s reputation,
with Arizona (18-11, 3-3) being the perennial dog of the
conference.
"The secret to the Pac-10 championship is not getting swept,"
Adams said. "If you can avoid a sweep on the road, you’re gonna
have a shot."
On Saturday afternoon the Bruins fell to the Wildcats, 11-6,
losing their third straight game in the process. Arizona out-hit
UCLA 18-to-5, with each of UCLA’s three pitchers culpable in
Arizona’s hit-a-thon.
"These guys just do a good job of hitting with two strikes,
making contact, and hitting lots of line drives up the middle,"
Adams said. "They’re singling us to death."
Troy Glaus came up big for UCLA, homering for the third time
this season for one of his two hits on the day. Glaus also played
first base, his fourth position in his last four games.
Arizona eked out a 6-5 victory in Friday’s 10-inning game.
Senior Rick Heineman picked up the loss in UCLA’s third
extra-inning loss in as many tries.
The usually overpowering Heineman relieved starter Jim Parque
(nine IP, five earned runs) in the bottom of the 10th with the game
tied at five.
Parque struck out 12 Wildcats and walked three in his second
consecutive nine-inning start.
* * *
The Bruins play two nonleague games in the middle of this week,
at home against Gonzaga on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and at defending NCAA
champion Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Fullerton game has all the signs of a being a Titanic romp.
Top-ranked Fullerton (18-2) defeated the Bruins 14-7 in a
part-riveting, part-revolting game Feb. 14 at Jackie Robinson
Stadium. Added to that, UCLA is 1-4 in Wednesday contests, with
this game on the road at Titan Stadium.
"From the first game we played (the Bruins) showed that they are
a better team than last year," Fullerton’s Mark Kotsay said. "They
know how to play the game, they have a good pitching staff and
great hitters."
Gonzaga, on the other hand, figures to present no problem for
the Bruins and Adams.
Making his first start of the year in the Gonzaga game will be
junior Matt Klein. The matchup for Fullerton has yet to be
determined.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu