After a win in the series opener Thursday, the UCLA baseball
team ensured a successful return from Tucson with another tense
victory, 4-3, over Arizona on Friday, before dropping the finale,
9-5, Saturday.
The Bruins have to feel good about taking two of three from one
of the projected top teams in the Pac-10, especially because they
were hard-fought victories.
“Anytime you win two out of three on the road I believe
that’s a good weekend,” coach Gary Adams said.
The Bruins (18-14, 3-3 Pac-10) have lately proven a knack for
pulling out tight games. UCLA won the four games of their
mini-winning streak, which ended Saturday, by a combined five
runs.
Friday’s victory marked the resurgence of staff ace Casey
Janssen after two straight losing outings. Janssen (6-2) got back
on the winning track by going 7 2/3 innings, striking out six, and
allowing only three hits and one earned run.
“His stat line was indicative of how he performed,”
Adams said. “He was vintage Casey Janssen.”
The Bruin offense was a persistent, gradual effort. It collected
single runs in innings two through five, which proved to be all
that was necessary.
Besides Janssen, first baseman Wes Whisler was Friday’s
other encouraging sign.
Whisler was the lone Bruin with multiple hits, an RBI single and
fourth inning leadoff double. Whisler, the most feared hitter in
the Bruin lineup, has struggled most of the season.
“Each weekend it seems a different player is coming
through in the clutch, so it’s great to see them spread the
wealth,” Adams said.
Saturday, the Wildcats jumped on the Bruins early. They scored
four runs off Whisler in the first inning, all after the UCLA
junior retired the first two batters.
The Bruins pulled back into the game with a run in the second
inning and two in the third, but Arizona knocked Whisler and the
Bruins out of the game with a couple of runs in the sixth and
another two off reliever David Johnson in the seventh.
Still, UCLA has to feel positive about the weekend. Despite not
hitting a home run, the Bruins continued their recent success in
manufacturing runs.
Having played Arizona and Stanford in back-to-back weekends,
UCLA has already played two of its three toughest series in Pac-10
action.
Coming out even after those six conference games means the
Bruins are in solid position for a late-season playoff push.