The Bruins were unable to walk it off after their second blown save in as many games.
UCLA baseball (2-2) fell to Pepperdine (4-0) at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday night 7-5 despite entering the final frame with a two-run lead. The Waves posted a six-run ninth inning, highlighted by a grand slam that put the visiting team ahead.
With UCLA leading 3-1 going into the final frame, junior right-hander Charles Harrison was called on to close out the game. Following back-to-back singles and a throwing error on a bunt back to the mound, Pepperdine cut it to 3-2 with runners on the corners and no outs.
After Harrison blew a save Sunday against Cal State Northridge, coach John Savage had a shorter leash on the junior, pulling him in favor of junior left-hander Jake Saum. The southpaw walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a first-pitch grand slam to Pepperdine shortstop John Peck, who finished the night 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs.
With the runners he put on base giving the Waves the lead, Harrison picked up his second consecutive blown save.
“It’s experienced pitchers not pitching very well,” Savage said. “It really started with Charles. He just hasn’t been able to get anything done the last couple games.”
Following the grand slam, another base runner reached on an error – the Bruins’ third of the game – with the runner getting to third base by the time Saum recorded the second out of the inning. Redshirt freshman right-hander Chris Aldrich recorded the final out, but not before giving up an RBI single to Pepperdine third baseman Zach Chonkich that capped off the six-run frame for the Waves.
The Bruins entered the bottom of the ninth needing to score four runs to tie the game. They managed to put up two, but freshman second baseman Ethan Gourson – who hit a walk-off home run Sunday – couldn’t play hero for the second game in a row, grounding out to second for the final out of the game with the tying run on first base.
Prior to the ninth inning, the Bruins’ pitching staff recorded 17 strikeouts in eight innings, including 15 combined from freshman left-hander Ethan Flanagan, the starter, and freshman right-hander Alonzo Tredwell. Through eight innings, the only run allowed was an RBI double off Flanagan.
Freshman right-hander Luke Jewett logged the final two strikeouts for the Bruins, the first and second of his collegiate career in his third appearance of the season.
“All three guys were as impressive as ever,” Savage said. “They’re all above 90 (miles per hour), with breaking balls. They’ve got swing-and-miss pitches. It was on display. … I haven’t seen three freshmen pitch like that together in one night in a long time.”
Flanagan, who has dealt with injuries and hadn’t pitched since his freshman year of high school, said he felt good about his debut performance in the blue and gold. He added that slowing things down will be beneficial for him and the rest of the pitching staff in the future.
“In the beginning, I feel like we did a good job picking up each other,” Flanagan said. “In general, going one pitch at a time will help us a lot.”
The Bruins’ offense benefited from the four errors made by the Waves. They scored twice in the third inning on a throwing error and once in the ninth on a fielding error.
Graduate student left fielder Kenny Oyama reached base three times and marked the Bruins’ second run on the third-inning throwing error. Oyama finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and hit by pitch.
Oyama said he wants his teammates to keep moving forward despite the loss.
“This is a hard game, so you can’t get too high (or) too low,” Oyama said. “I try to pick up my guys when they’re not feeling their best – just keep them on an even path.”
