The number four was unlucky for UCLA on Tuesday, as the Bruins
coughed up four unearned runs in the fourth inning, losing to the
UCSB Gauchos 7-5.
The loss adds to the struggles the team has faced on the road,
and serves as another missed opportunity to gain a victory over a
mediocre opponent.
With the score tied at three in the bottom of the fourth, a fly
ball that should have been caught dropped in the outfield grass.
The Bruins then failed to put out a routine ground ball, opening
the floodgates for a big inning.
“We gave them them five outs instead of three,” head
coach Gary Adams said.
As a result Santa Barbara scored four unearned runs, knocking
starting pitcher Hector Ambriz out of the game. Although only three
of the seven runs he allowed were earned, the freshman also gave up
eight hits and four walks.
“We had one bad inning. The runs they scored in the fourth
inning were unearned,” Adams said. “If we would have
gotten rid of that fourth inning we would have won.”
The bullpen, normally a question mark for the Bruins, was
spectacular. Bryan Beck gave up three hits in three innings and
freshman Adam Simon pitched the eighth.
Both Simon and Wes Whisler went 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Matt Thayer
knocked in the other run for the Bruins. As a team, UCLA was
out-hit 12-9. More importantly, they have continued to struggle
offensively on the road.
“Right now, we’re just not doing the little things
in the middle innings. We’re not winning 4-5-6,” Simon
said. “Once we start winning those we’ll be all
right.”
The Bruins are 1-3 in their last four road games, and average
5.5 runs a game; that number jumps to 9.4 runs per game at
home.
The bad news continues for UCLA, as the team plays 10
consecutive road games in less than two weeks, including a game
against defending national champion Texas.
The Bruins can only hope the long road trip makes them road
warriors and not road wimps.