Before Sunday’s epic UCLA comeback, Friday’s game
was supposed to be a featured pitching matchup. It didn’t
completely disappoint, but it didn’t fully live up to
expectations either. UCLA and USC both trotted out their No. 1
pitchers in the series opener, but neither the Bruins’ Casey
Janssen nor the Trojans’ Ian Kennedy had his best game in
USC’s 6-4 late-inning victory. Janssen, who entering the game
had only allowed three home runs all season, was touched for long
balls in the first, third and fourth innings, accounting for the
Trojans’ first four runs. “I wouldn’t say I was
nervous, but I was excited a little more,” Janssen said.
“I just missed my spots and they capitalized.” Kennedy,
a freshman, looked dominant for most of the game, striking out
eight Bruins in 5-2/3 innings. “(Kennedy) was pretty dominant
the first four innings,” UCLA coach Gary Adams said.
“We couldn’t lay off the high hard one.” However,
Kennedy ran into trouble and some Bruin luck in the fifth inning
when he gave up all four of his runs. Center fielder Jarrad Page
led-off with a double and third baseman Preston Griffin, who led
the team with three hits, drove him in with a single. Then, with
one out, shortstop Ryan McCarthy checked his swing to a high,
inside fastball and hit an accidental double just inside the right
field line knocking in two runners. Janssen had settled down to
throw scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh innings, and was left in
to begin the eighth. He allowed a lead-off single and a sacrifice
bunt before being relieved. “At that point, I was grinding it
out,” he said. “You never want to pull yourself
out.” Two Bruin relievers later, Brant Rustich gave up a
double that drove in Janssen’s runner, giving the starter the
loss. “Rustich has been doing a good job for us,” Adams
said, “but he threw a high slider that said “˜hit
me’ on it. If he gets it down, then it’s a good
pitch.” What will likely be overlooked in the loss is what
could have been the play of the year. With the score knotted at
four, a runner on second, and two outs in the seventh, USC’s
Baron Frost grounded what appeared to be a sure single up the
middle. Out of nowhere, second baseman Mike Svetlic speared it with
a head-first dive, then wheeled to his knees and threw a one-hopper
that first baseman Wes Whisler fully extended down the right field
line to short-hop for the out.
PAGE’S DAY: Saturday, Page led the
Bruins’ 12-6 victory with the best game of his young
collegiate career. The redshirt freshman collected four hits, four
RBI and three runs in four at-bats. In both of the Bruins’
big innings, the five-run fourth and the four-run seventh, Page hit
two-run doubles. The positive signs from Page are especially
encouraging as he just recently returned from a scary back injury
incurred when he ran into a fence chasing a fly ball a month ago.
Other Saturday stars were first baseman Brett McMillan and Griffin,
who both had three hits, and right fielder Matt Thayer, who added
his third home run of the year. Adam Simon entered a 7-5 game in
the sixth inning and threw 3-2/3 scoreless innings for his fourth
save. The Trojans wasted a quick 4-1 lead after three innings.
Their star catcher, Jeff Clement, hit his second home run of the
weekend, his 10th of the year.