Two of UCLA’s vaunted freshman class received unfavorable,
and remarkably similar, introductions to college ball.
Freshmen pitchers Hector Ambriz and Garett White both gave up
home runs on their very first pitches in the Bruins’ 8-3 loss
to UC Riverside, a team that is only playing its third season of
collegiate baseball.
The Highlanders (4-0) found a way to slow the Bruin (2-2)
offense which had appeared unstoppable in two wins over the
weekend. After scoring 30 runs Saturday and Sunday over Cal State
Northridge, the same Bruin starting lineup could only muster three
runs and seven hits Tuesday while leaving nine runners on base.
Junior Chris Cordeiro opened the game with UCLA’s best
start of the year, going five innings without allowing a run.
However, because it is early in the year, coaches held Cordeiro to
a strict pitch count and the Bruin bullpen, which had been solid in
the first three games, relinquished a 1-0 lead, yielding three runs
in the sixth and five in the eighth.
Though Ambriz, White and sophomore Bryan Beck were roughed up
when they entered the game, they still benefited from some key
early season action, as the Bruins will assuredly rely on them
during the year as part of a very young pitching staff and
bullpen.
On a positive note, the Bruins did have reason to celebrate
Tuesday as sophomore right fielder Billy Susdorf was named Pac-10
Player of the Week. He posted a mighty 1.000 slugging percentage,
going 8 for 15 with two home runs.