Tuesday, February 10, 1998
Four-game skid turns into two-game streak
RECAP Team pulls off needed victories in season-saving
weekend
By Kristina Wilcox
Daily Bruin Staff
Although the UCLA baseball team did not stop their losing streak
as quickly as they would have liked to, it did come to an end over
the weekend in Saturday’s game at Georgia Tech.
The Bruins (3-4) lost the first game of a three-game series on
Friday when the Yellow Jackets (1-2) hit UCLA starting pitcher Rob
Henkel and reliever Gabe Crecion for 15 runs (14 earned) in the
16-7 slugfest.
Scores came in spurts and each team took advantage of the
other’s mistakes.
Georgia Tech demonstrated its offense quite readily in the
fourth inning when they scored seven runs off of Henkel (0-2) and
Crecion.
The tide turned the Bruins’ way on Saturday when freshman Bobby
Roe had yet another excellent performance in relief, allowing five
runners in four scoreless innings. His teammates put together a
10-9 victory in the process.
Just as it had been in the previous game, the fourth inning was
one for big scoring, this time by the visiting Bruins.
With two outs and nobody on base, UCLA scored eight runs. One of
the highlights of the inning was designated hitter Brett Nista’s
three-run home run out into the football field beyond the
left-field wall at Chandler Stadium. The homer brought the score to
favor the Bruins, 10-9. The other was shortstop Chase Utley’s
second two-run homer of the day, giving him a team-high four RBI in
the game.
Roe earned his first save of the season in relief of starter
Chad Cislak (2-1). Roe needed only 50 pitches to record 12 outs, 10
of which where by groundouts.
"He saved the game and maybe the season for the team," Blank
said. "If they lost the fifth game in a row, their morale would
have been really low."
The Bruins were able to start a small winning streak by coming
out on top on Sunday, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth on
infielder Jack Santora’s triple off of the center-field wall. They
won yet another close game, 13-11.
"I think it’s going to be like this the whole season," second
baseman Nick Theodorou said of the close games this year.
"It will take time for the pitching staff to mature and even the
whole team. We need to match what the other teams do
offensively."
The Bruins host the University of San Diego today at 3 p.m. at
Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The Toreros (2-4) won two out of three games over the weekend at
home against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The key players in their offense thus far is senior shortstop
Jeff Powers (.375 batting average) and catcher Tony Betancourt (5
RBIs).
Freshman Ryan Carter (0-0) will be making his first start of the
season for the Bruins against these potent bats. He made one other
appearance this season, allowing 1 hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Theodorou returned to the starting lineup on Sunday, and will
likely play again today.