Tuesday, February 18, 1997
BASEBALL:
Three-game romp over LMU boosts UCLA’s record to 13-1-1By
Kristina Wilcox
Daily Bruin Contributor
This weekend was as sweet as Valentine’s chocolate for the UCLA
baseball team, as they swept Loyola Marymount in a three-game
series.
The Bruins (13-1-1) scored three dozen runs over the three
games, which was more than enough support for the pitchers.
On Sunday, left-handed junior Jim Parque (4-0), still recovering
from a bad cold, pitched a solid six innings in the team’s 13-4
victory over the Lions (3-6).
"I looked pretty sluggish out there," Parque said. "It will take
me a few weeks to get my energy level back up. Right now, I’m going
on half a tank."
"He was a little rusty," UCLA head coach Gary Adams said.
Parque allowed only one run and scattered six hits over those
six innings.
However, he threw 95 pitches in the outing, which might hurt him
down the line.
Junior right fielder Eric Byrnes, who celebrated his 21st
birthday Sunday, got the offense going with a solo shot in the
first inning.
In the bottom half of the second inning, second baseman Chad
Matoian added an RBI single while Jack Santora followed with a
two-run triple, extending the Bruin lead to 4-0.
Lion starter Sandor Demosthenes (0-2) exited the game after only
1 1/3 innings, having allowed four runs.
The Bruins did not score again until the fifth inning, when
sophomore Eric Valent hit his team-leading ninth home run of the
season, driving in junior Troy Glaus.
With a fifth-inning solo home run by Curt Fiore, followed by a
three-run shot by former Bruin Benny Craig in the seventh, Loyola
Marymount cut the Bruin advantage to 6-4.
However, in the bottom half of the inning, Bruin first baseman
Peter Zamora put the game out of reach when he hit his second grand
slam of the season, increasing the lead to 10-4.
The final three runs of the game came in on a wild pitch and on
pinch hitter Ryan Roques’ first round-tripper of the season.
Saturday, UCLA defeated Loyola, 10-5, behind the bats of Valent
(2-for-4, five RBI) and senior Jon Heinrichs (4-for-5, two runs,
one walk). In this road game, Valent hit a two-run shot in the
third inning and another in the sixth.
Catcher Mike Jaramillo and Theodorou, who played second in this
game, also contributed to the offensive attack with home runs.
Peter Zamora (1-0) started the game on the mound for the Bruins,
allowing five hits and five runs (one earned run) in five innings
of work. He was hurt by a couple of back-to-back errors by
shortstop Brett Nista in the third inning which enabled the Lions
to score four runs in the inning.
Friday’s home contest was another all-around effort as the
Bruins defeated Loyola, 13-1.
Bruin starting pitcher Tom Jacquez (3-0) surrendered only two
hits and one walk while striking out nine Lions in seven
innings.
Tony Righetti closed the game by striking out five of the seven
batters he faced. Over the weekend, he had nine strikeouts in 3 1/3
innings.
UCLA’s big inning came in the fourth, when six runs crossed the
plate. The Bruins stroked four singles, two doubles and a triple as
12 players batted in the inning.
* * *
The Bruins will travel up the coast this afternoon in an effort
to extend their five-game winning streak.
Dan Keller (2-0, 2.89 ERA) will get starting pitching duties
against UC Santa Barbara in a 2 p.m. matchup at UCSB’s Caesar
Uyesaka Stadium.
CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin
Tony Righetti struck out four in 1 1/3 innings vs. LMU on
Sunday.