By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Contributor
BATON ROUGE, La.”“ It was over before you could say
jambalaya.
The Louisiana State baseball team handed UCLA two quick defeats
and a sudden trip home in last weekend’s Super Regional,
culminating Saturday afternoon with a 14-8 defeat in Baton
Rouge.
The Tigers used solid pitching, near-flawless defense and
stealthy baserunning to stamp out any flicker of hope UCLA had of
making it to the College World Series.
The Bruins didn’t help themselves, committing six errors,
giving up seven unearned runs and failing to make key plays when
they needed them most.
Friday’s game was a lesson in futility as the Tigers toyed
with the Bruins through six innings, before devouring them in the
seventh inning en route to an 8-2 victory. UCLA managed a
season-low two hits, both in the seventh frame, as LSU starting
pitcher Brian Tallet turned in a brilliant performance up to that
point, not allowing a hit.
Though Tallet was nearly untouchable, UCLA seemed to give the
game away at times. In the third inning, Tiger slugger Brad Cresse
came to the plate with runners on second and third. UCLA head coach
Gary Adams ordered Bruin starter Rob Henkel to intentionally walk
Cresse, but Henkel threw the first pitch over catcher Forrest
Johnson’s head to allow an easy run.
LSU made the most of its four hits off Henkel, scoring six runs
with the help of two UCLA errors. But Henkel helped the Tigers to
big innings in the third and fifth by giving up walks to open both
innings, his only two of the game.
“Leadoff walks will do that to you,” Henkel said.
“That’s not the way to start an inning.”
UCLA’s lone bright spot came in the seventh inning when
Johnson slammed a Tallet offering over the bleachers in left with a
man on to account for both Bruin runs. Other than that, the few
Bruin fans in attendance had little to cheer about.
“We probably should have had a 0-0 game through five or
six innings,” Adams said. “But you have to tip your cap
to LSU, they played a good ballgame.”
UCLA’s two errors came in stark contrast to LSU’s
picturesque defense. The Tigers showed why they were the
Southeastern Conference tournament champions by backing Tallet
without flaw.
Saturday’s game appeared to be more of the same. LSU
jumped out to a 10-0 lead through just four innings of play. UCLA
starting pitcher Josh Karp struggled in the first three innings
before being replaced by Jon Brandt.
Karp did not give up any big hits, but he had trouble finding
his rhythm after taking a line drive off his right ankle early in
the contest.
“I’m a competitor,” Karp said. “There
was no way I was coming out.”
Whether the injury affected him or not was not the Bruins’
primary concern. The big problem in the inning was not Karp’s
ankle, but the Bruins’ inability to execute. UCLA had a pair
of chances to turn double plays with one out and end the inning.
But second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Randall Shelley
were unable to finish off the twin killings as both made throwing
errors that led to runs.
“Defense wasn’t their strong suit,” LSU head
coach Skip Bertman said. “I told the boys, put it in play and
run like heck, and good things will happen.”
In the bottom of the fourth, UCLA began its comeback. Garrett
Atkins doubled off the left-centerfield wall and Bill Scott drove
him home with a triple off the wall in center. Shelley made up for
his error with a three-run homer in the inning, but it was too
little, too late for UCLA.
“Besides losing, the most difficult thing for me and my
players is that we know we are capable of playing so much
better,” Adams said. “My team is a good team. At the
end of the season, we were playing outstanding baseball and it
didn’t happen here.”
Quite simply, the Bruins ran into an outstanding LSU team. The
Tigers had it all to make the fabled trip to Rosenblatt Stadium in
Omaha next weekend: strong pitching, solid hitting and daring
baserunning.
The Tigers had six steals in the series and compounded that by
taking extra bases every chance they got. UCLA, which has 13
players who are likely to be chosen in the Major League amateur
draft that takes place today, was beaten by a quality team that
will make its eleventh appearance in Omaha in the last fifteen
years.
But Bertman was quick to point out how strong the Bruins were,
despite the defeats.
“I can’t impress upon you enough how good UCLA
really is,” Bertman said. “I doubt if anybody in any
regional could have put together a better opponent.”
Perhaps not, but the season came to a bitter end for the Bruins
nonetheless. UCLA missed opportunities and made countless fielding
mistakes. Now, the Bruins are left wondering just how good this
squad could have been.