March 18, 2006
LOS ANGELES - The San Diego State baseball team struggled offensively and on the mound for the second straight day as it dropped a 12-2 decision to UCLA Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. It was the ninth straight loss for the Aztecs as they saw their record fall to 6-19 on the year while the Bruins won their fourth in a row to improve to 14-11.
SDSU starter Adam Simon (0-3), who transferred to San Diego State this season after three years at UCLA, sailed through the first inning, but ran into control problems in the second. In that frame, he gave up six runs on a pair of hits, four walks and an error as the home side broke out to a 6-0 lead.
UCLA added two more off Simon in the fourth before the Aztecs got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. SDSU's runs came courtesy of solo home runs by Brock Ungricht and Curt Mendoza in that inning to make it an 8-2 contest.
However, in other than that run-scoring fifth, the San Diego State offense was kept in check by Bruin starter Dave Huff, who gave up just the two runs on seven hits over eight innings of work. He walked none and struck out five to run his record to 3-2.
Simon, who allowed 10 of UCLA's runs (nine earned), went just 4.1 innings. He also struck out five, but gave up six bases on balls along the way. He gave way in the fifth to senior Ben Coon, who fared little better as he was touched up for a pair of runs on three hits in just one-third of an inning.
The Aztec bullpen trio of Justin Lynch, Lance Sewell and Mike Koons held UCLA scoreless over the final three innings, but the SDSU offense was unable to get to Huff or reliever Kevin Brophy, who came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to nail down the victory for the Bruins.
Ungricht finished the game with a pair of hits as did center fielder Quintin Berry, who had a single and a double, as the duo accounted for four of the teams seven base hits.
San Diego State and UCLA will conclude their three-game weekend series on Sunday (March 19) at 1:00 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. That game can be heard live on the Internet at www.goaztecs.com.
After the team returns home Sunday evening, they will enjoy a 15-game home stand over the next four weeks beginning with a three-game series against Pacific starting Friday, March 24, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
UCLA 12, San Diego State 2SDSU 000 020 000 - 2 7 1UCLA 060 240 00x - 12 11 1Simon, Coon (5), Lynch (6), Sewell (7), Koons (8) and AndersonHuff, Brophy (9) and Babineau, Ray (9)W - Huff (3-2)L - Simon (0-3)Sv - NoneHR - SDSU: Ungricht (2), Mendoza (3) UCLA: Ambriz (3)Att. - 351Time - 2:59