April 19, 2011
LOS ANGELES - UCLA put together a pair of five-run innings and defeated San Diego State, 14-6, Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. Five Bruin pitchers limited the Aztecs to five hits, but surrendered a total of 11 walks that contributed to SDSU's run production on the evening.
Just as it had done in each of its previous five games, San Diego State gave up a run in the first inning. After starter Mike Hachadorian retired the first two batters he faced to open the contest, he gave up a single, walk and RBI double that gave the home side an early 1-0 lead. The Aztec junior right-hander would only go one inning, but the run he allowed would cause him to eventually take the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season.
After scoring an unearned run in the second that came courtesy of a two-out fielding error, the 17th-ranked Bruins jumped on freshman Philip Walby, SDSU's third pitcher, for five runs on four hits and a walk in the third to take a 7-0 lead.
SDSU (11-26) got two of those runs back in its half of the fifth. Cody Slader was hit by pitch and Evan Potter walked before Cody Smith delivered an RBI double to left that brought Slader home. Pat Colwell's ground out to first then scored Potter to make it a 7-2 contest. Those runs came off Bruin starter Zack Weiss, who would depart after the fifth inning, but pick up the win to improve to 3-1.
Any hopes for an Aztec comeback were quickly diminished as UCLA (20-12) added five runs to its total in the bottom of the same inning. SDSU freshman right-hander TJ Kendzora was the victim on this occasion, allowing five hits capped off by a three-run homer by Bruin third baseman Cody Regis.
Trailing 14-2 heading into the eighth, San Diego State scored four time thanks in part to control problems by Bruin reliever Scott Griggs. Griggs walked the first three hitters he faced to open the top of the eighth. After a strikeout, catcher Ben Vasko singled to right to score the first run of the inning.
A wild pitch brought home the second run before Evan Potter walked to re-load the bases. Another base on balls to Cody Smith brought home the third run and ended Griggs' relief effort. Ryan Deeter then gave up an RBI single to Colwell to account for the game's final run.
Colwell was the lone Aztec with more than one hit as he finished with a pair of singles and two runs batted in while Cody Smith also had two RBI.
San Diego State will now head to Colorado Springs where it will resume Mountain West Conference play with a three-game series at Air Force that gets underway on Thursday, April 21, at 2:00 p.m. (MT) at Falcon Field.