University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Washington
Henkel Fans School Record 18 As Bruins Drop Washington 2-1 In Pac-10 Opener
March 25, 2000 | Baseball
March 25, 2000
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Junior LHP Rob Henkel struck out a school record 18 batters and junior catcher Forrest Johnson hit his 10th home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth to give the UCLA baseball team a 2-1 victory over Washington Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The Bruins, winners of eight-straight games, improve their overall record to 15-10 and open the Pacific-10 Conference season 1-0. Washington falls to 7-12 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-10.
Henkel put on quite a show, striking out the first nine Husky batters to face him, one strikeout short of the NCAA consecutive strikeout record set Barry Zito of UC Santa Barbara in 1996. He retired the side five times, including all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Henkel (4-1) went the distance for his fourth victory of the season, allowing one run off just four hits and no walks.
The previous UCLA strikeout record was 17 set by current Bruin RHP Jon Brandt vs. McNeese State last season. Henkel has fanned at least 16 batters in each of his last three outings and as a strikeout to walk ratio of 70:5 this season.
UW starter Matt Massingale (2-2) went the distance to suffer the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out seven.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning as junior second baseman Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 15 games (tying a career high) with a lead-off base hit. Utley later scored on double down the left field line by Johnson, who accounted for both runs vs. UW.
Washington evened the score in the top of the fifth when freshman designated hitter Jay Garthwaite tripled off the center field fence to lead-off the inning. A sacrifice fly to center by freshman left-fielder Justin Drake then drove in the tying run.
The Huskies stranded a possible go-ahead runner on second base with two outs in the top of the eighth, when Henkel struck out center fielder Marc Rittenhouse to end the inning as well as the next three batters in the ninth to set up the game winning homer by Johnson.
The three-game series continues tomorrow with sophomore RHP Josh Karp (2-1) on the hill for UCLA and junior RHP Mike Bomar (1-3) making the start for Washington. The game begins at 1 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium and will be broadcast live on the internet at www.broadcast.com.
