Heading into College Station with a six-game losing streak, the
UCLA baseball team continued to experience a rough patch in its
season during its three-game series against No. 9 Texas
A&M.
The Aggies (15-5) swept the Bruins (7-13), who are now mired in
their first nine-game losing streak since 1981.
Despite jumping out to early leads in all three games, UCLA
could not hold on in any of them. But a combination of all facets
of the Bruins’ game going wrong ruined what could have been a
momentum-changing weekend.
“I think we need to put a complete game where everything
is clicking,” first-baseman Brett McMillan said. “This
whole weekend, we saw every part of our game clicking sometimes but
not at the same time.”
On Friday, McMillan hit a grand slam in the top of the first
inning for UCLA, but that edge evaporated by the end of the second
inning when the Aggies scored five runs off starter Adam Simon
(1-3). The Aggies put the game away in the fifth inning with 10
runs, foreshadowing the rest of the weekend.
Saturday, the Bruins scored two runs in the first inning but
were held scoreless for the rest of the game. Sunday’s script
was similar for UCLA, leading 3-0, but was again unable to keep it
up.
“We’re trying to develop this program, from the
mentality part to the ability part, to seeing vision,” UCLA
coach John Savage said. “We need to have guys step up who
have been in the program the last couple of years; I think they are
pressing a bit, trying to carry the team on their
shoulders.”
UCLA will be on a 16-day break for finals and spring break and
will try to revive its faltering season against defending national
champion Cal State Fullerton on March 29.