For the second time in as many days, the UCLA baseball team received a heroic effort from one of its All-American pitchers in an extra-innings thriller
This time, the Bruins couldn’t take advantage of the extra frames, falling 2-1 to Nebraska Saturday at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Neb.
Juinor right hander Trevor Bauer struck out 17 Cornhusker hitters in 10 innings of work, both career highs. UCLA closer Nick Vander Tuig was inserted in the game with two outs in the bottom of the 11th and escaped a jam just as he had Friday afternoon in a 1-0 UCLA win.
The 12th was a different story. The middle of the Bruins’ (7-3) batting order was retired in short order and the Cornhuskers (7-4) capitalized in the bottom of the inning when sophomore second baseman Bryan Peters hit a walk-off single through the left side giving the Cornhuskers the win and Vander Tuig the loss.
As has been the case for most of the young season, No. 5 UCLA’s bats were held in check. Freshman shortstop Pat Valaika and sophomore designated hitter Jeff Gelalich each had hits in the third inning to produce the Bruins’ only run of the game. The Nebraska pitching staff did not allow a hit for the remainder of the game, earning four 1-2-3 innings in the process.
UCLA and Nebraska will play the rubber match of the series Sunday at 11 a.m. Freshman Adam Plutko, who is 2-0 on the year with a .69 earned run average, is UCLA’s projected starter.