The Bruins came from behind for the fifth straight game to extend their winning streak to six.
No. 15 UCLA baseball (20-8, 6-3 Pac-12) defeated Loyola Marymount (9-18-1, 6-3 WCC) by a score of 5-4 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday in the second midweek showdown between the two teams this season. The Bruins tied the contest in the bottom of the ninth on a three-run homer by sophomore third baseman Kyle Karros before ultimately winning the game in the 11th on a walk-off home run by freshman shortstop Cody Schrier.
Coach John Savage said Karros has made an immediate difference after returning from injury.
“You can’t say enough about what he (Karros) has done in terms of staying ready when he was hurt, mentally and physically,” Savage said. “He’s an impact player.”
UCLA entered the ninth inning trailing 4-1 but brought the tying run to the plate with one out after a pair of walks. Two pitches later, the game was tied.
The Bruins were unable to come up with the winning run in the ninth or 10th, but on the first pitch in the bottom of the 11th, Schrier ended the game to secure the late-inning comeback over the Lions.
“We are finding a lot of different ways to win, and we have come back in several games,” Savage said. “It’s a good trait.”
Across the final five innings, Savage called on three different pitchers to keep Loyola Marymount at bay for the remainder of the contest. Karros said the pitching staff is the reason the team has been seeing its recent success.
“These pitchers are doing a phenomenal job,” Karros said. “They could easily be like, ‘These guys aren’t hitting for us.’ … They keep going out there and getting the job done to allow us to have these come (from) behind wins like today.”
After striking early in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Karros, the Bruins stranded eight runners over seven consecutive scoreless frames. In the seventh inning, UCLA loaded the bases with one out but failed to push a runner across after back-to-back strikeouts.
Savage said his squad is growing to be more resilient in the face of setbacks.
“Our team is doing a good job of continuing to play regardless of what type of blows they’re taking,” Savage said. “Our team is learning how to grind.”
Freshman left-hander Ethan Flanagan, who pitched through the 10th inning, said the win was made better because of how many people contributed.
“It’s a huge team win,” Flanagan said. “(We) used the whole bullpen. Everyone came off the bench, passing it from one guy to another, (and) the offense picked it up at the end with Kyle and Cody both having clutch home runs.”
Karros added that team cohesion has played a large part in allowing the Bruins to make comebacks in recent games.
“This team is super connected,” Karros said. “I keep saying it, but we all just want the best for each other. … It’s a matter of picking each other up and never giving in.”
Comments are closed.