The UCLA baseball team scored four runs in the top of the ninth
inning Tuesday against Loyola Marymount to seemingly tie the
game.
But the sun had other plans, and darkness descended over
LMU’s Page Stadium before the inning could be completed.
According to NCAA rules, when it’s too dark to play, the
score reverts to the end of the last completed inning, when LMU led
7-3, giving the Bruins (3-2) a bitter loss.
Of course, this unfortunate result could have been avoided had
the Bruins kept a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth. The
Lions feasted on the UCLA bullpen, scoring five runs on a variety
of mistakes by the Bruin pitchers to go ahead 7-3.
“If we’re going to lose, we would like the other
team to do it with their bats,” coach Gary Adams said.
“We can get around the hits, but we gotta learn to pitch with
composure.”
Lions catcher Brady Koch started off the inning with a walk
against Brant Rustich. Rustich was replaced by Brian Schroeder
(0-1), who gave up a single to Lions right fielder James Cooper.
Schroeder was then replaced by Kevin Brophy in the hopes of the
walk-on getting out of the jam.
Brophy was initially successful, striking out second baseman
Clint McGill, but he walked third baseman Kyle Mura to load the
bases with one out for the Lions. Another pitching change brought
in Adam Simon, and the game would soon get away from the
Bruins.
Simon would face pinch-hitter A.J. LaMonda and promptly throw a
wild pitch that scored Koch and tied the game at three. LaMonda
then singled off the pitcher to score Cooper and give LMU a 4-3
lead.
Simon then balked in a run to score Mura, giving the Lions their
fifth run. One out later, Simon hit shortstop Billy Lockin. That
mistake with two outs led to left fielder Chris Pettit’s
triple that plated two runs and finished the scoring at 7-3.
UCLA plays an exhibition game today against the University of
Rikkoyo from Japan at Jackie Robinson Stadium at 6:30 p.m.