UCLA just wasn’t ready to wake up from its dream season.
Facing elimination against Cal State Fullerton (45-17) in the second game of their Super Regional series, the Bruins ““ as the visiting team ““ picked up four runs in the top of the 10th and beat the Titans 11-7 in a crazy, back-and-forth affair at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
“We were lucky enough to come out on top,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “You can go on and on about the roster and guys stepping up.”
UCLA (47-14) got the game-winning hit from one of its most unlikely sources. Seldom-used freshman Trevor Brown came up as a pinch-hitter in the 10th with the bases loaded and laced a two-run single through the left side of the infield. A dropped flyball by the Titans allowed two more runs to score.
“I was fortunate enough to get a good pitch and was lucky enough to get a good swing on it,” Brown said. “The opportunity to help your team is awesome.”
But the 10th inning was relatively anticlimactic compared to what transpired in the ninth. The Titans led 6-5 going into the top half of the inning and were one out away from eliminating the Bruins.
With bags being packed and the Fullerton fans all standing up to cheer, redshirt senior Blair Dunlap coaxed a walk, and sophomore Tyler Rahmatulla launched a 3-1 fastball over the left-field wall to give UCLA, remarkably, a 7-6 lead.
“The other at-bats I had I wasn’t really seeing the ball too well,” Rahmatulla said. “The coaches told me to relax and do what I do. I got into a hitter’s count and got one pitch I could swing at and put a good swing on it.”
The jubilation didn’t last for too long, however. The Titans tied things up in the bottom of the ninth and had the winning run at third with only one out before UCLA redshirt sophomore closer Dan Klein was able to get out of the mess. The Bruins then struck with the four decisive tallies in the 10th.
Behind sophomore starter Trevor Bauer, UCLA led 4-2 for much of the game despite squandering a number of prime scoring opportunities. The Bruins got two solo home runs from freshman Cody Regis and one from senior Justin Uribe.
Cal State Fullerton struck for four in the seventh and it appeared as if that would be enough. It wasn’t.
With the win, UCLA forced a rubber match to be contested Sunday evening. Junior Rob Rasmussen will start for the Bruins, looking to repeat his regional-clinching victory last Sunday.
“Championship atmosphere,” UCLA coach John Savage said of Saturday’s game. “Just a hell of a baseball game. We live another day, and tomorrow is going to be another championship atmosphere.”