Bruins Score Twice In The 9th To Avoid Sweep

Sunday, April 9

Los Angeles, Calif.

1:00 PM

University of Washington

18-12, 6-3

UCLA

14-15, 7-5

Washington

UCLA

April 09, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: UCLA 6, UW 5

By: Brian Tom

LOS ANGELES – UCLA pinch-hitter Zander Clarke hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to cap a two-run final-inning rally and lift the Bruins to a 6-5 victory over visiting Washington and avoid a sweep Sunday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Washington (18-12, 6-3 Pac-12) took a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning but watched as UCLA (14-15, 7-5) chipped away with single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings before the Bruins burst the dam in the ninth.

Sean Bouchard started the rally off UW reliever Greg Minier (0-1) with a single and Kyle Cuellar doubled – his fourth hit of the day – to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with no outs. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Jack Stronach singled home Bouchard to tie the game.

Clarke then lifted an 0-2 pitch from Minier into left field where Jack Meggs made the catch, but was unable to throw out pinch-runner Jake Hirabayashi at home.

The loss kept the Huskies from earning their first sweep at UCLA since 2005, but UW did win the series, 2-1, and maintains its position of second in the Conference standings, 1 1/2 games ahead of 7-5 California. They are set to host No. 1 Oregon State – who is riding a Pac-12 record 23-game win streak – next week.

Things started well enough for the Huskies as UCLA starting pitcher Jon Olsen was perfect through the first 11 hitters, but watched things quickly unravel in the fourth inning. After two outs were recorded, the next seven Huskies reached safely and before everything was done, the Huskies would have a handful of runs and Olsen would be gone from the game.

MJ Hubbs started things off with a bang, lining a solo home run to straight-away center field for his team-leading fourth long ball of the season. The blast extended Hubbs' streak of reaching base safely to 23-consecutive games.

Joey Morgan and Willie MacIver each reached on singles, followed by back-to-back walks to John Naff and Levi Jordan – the final walk to Jordan forcing Morgan home from third.

UCLA called in lefty Nick Scheidler from the bullpen but a change did not squash the Huskies' two-out rally. AJ Graffanino came up clutch with a single that drove home two more runs and freshman Ben Baird picked up his first collegiate RBI with a single that made the score 5-0.

The inning proved to be the only time the Huskies would score, and from there, momentum turned on a dime in the Bruins' favor. UCLA muscled its way back into the game with single runs in three-straight innings off of UW starter Joe DeMers. Stronach drove home a run with a RBI single in the fourth, Cuellar hit a two-out, RBI single in the fifth and Michael Toglia knocked in a run in the sixth with a RBI single that also sent DeMers to the sidelines.

DeMers ended up going five full innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He walked two batters and struck out five – the fourth time this year the sophomore stuck out five or more in an outing.

UCLA cut the Huskies lead to 5-4 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Brett Stephens, setting the tables for the Bruins last hurrah in the ninth.

Jake Bird (3-0) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the victory for UCLA.

Washington will remain in Los Angeles and will play a single game on Monday at Loyola Marymount. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m. with W.TV carrying all the action online.