UCLA 7 LMU 2
By Scott Bair
Daily Bruin Reporter
A competition is beginning between the UCLA starting
pitchers.
Chris Cordeiro threw down the gauntlet on Saturday with 7 2/3
shutout innings and Mike Kunes responded with a two run,
seven-inning performance 24 hours later.
Casey Janssen would not be outdone on Monday afternoon, allowing
just two runs, both of which were unearned, in six innings of work
en route to a 7-2 victory over Loyola Marymount University (2-3) at
George Page Stadium.
The expressive Janssen exalted during his six-strikeout
performance, getting the Bruins (5-3) excited for what would
otherwise have been just another contest in their nine game stretch
over 10 days.
“Being animated on the mound is just my way of getting
into the game,” Janssen said. “If my energy spreads to
the others, that’s even better.”
Some of Janssen’s energy transferred to Adam Berry’s
bat in the ninth inning.
Berry became the first batter to hit a home run that cleared
George Page Stadium’s “Blue Monster”. Berry
turned on a Vincent Cordova offering and drove it well over the
37-foot high wall in left field, which stands 330 feet away from
home plate.
Berry didn’t just squeak the ball over the wall, he
crushed it well into the netting behind it.
“I did what anyone would have done with a hanging
curveball,” Berry said. “I turned on it and the ball
just took off.”
While Berry’s home run was a spectacle in itself, it was
the seventh run in a game that was already over.
Although the Bruin offense scored seven runs on the night, only
four of them were earned. The Bruins amassed an impressive 15 hits
in the game, but could not bring more runs across the plate because
of poor execution.
UCLA second baseman Ryan Rasmussen came to the plate with no
outs and runners on first and second, setting up a perfect
situation for a sacrifice bunt. Rasmussen couldn’t get a bunt
down in two attempts, and ending up striking out.
The Bruins could not manufacture runs like they need to if they
are to succeed this season.
“We got some clutch hits to put runs on the scoreboard,
but on the whole, we didn’t execute at the plate and it cost
us.”
The Bruins couldn’t take advantage of every opportunity,
but LMU was nice enough to keep giving them free chances. The Lions
had four crucial errors that led to three Bruin runs.
The Bruin pitching duo of Janssen and reliever Doug Silva were
not as generous, making the Lions work for every hit.
“Our guys turned in another great pitching
performance,” Adams said. “We’ve had great
pitching every night since Friday.”
Cordeiro threw down the gauntlet on Saturday and Janssen and
Kunes have answered.
Let the competition continue.