University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Washington
Five Bruins Homer In 12-5 Victory Over Washington
March 27, 2000 | Baseball
March 27, 2000
LOS ANGELES -- Five different Bruins slugged home runs to lead the UCLA baseball team over Washington 12-5 Monday afternoon in the final game of a three-game Pac-10 series at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
With the victory, UCLA improves its overall record to 16-11 and 2-1 in the Pacific-10 Conference, while the Huskies drop to 8-12 overall, 1-2 in league play.
Junior left-hander Bobby Roe (4-2) picked up the victory, allowing five runs, two earned, on seven hits through seven innings. The Bruins handed UW starter Jeff Carlsen (3-1) his first loss of the season, as he allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits through 3.2 innings.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, the Bruins scored two runs on an RBI single by junior center fielder Charles Merricks and an RBI bunt single by junior shortstop Josh Canales to take a 2-1 lead.
UCLA's power surge began in the third inning, on a one-out home run to right by junior left fielder Bill Scott and then back-to-back solo shots by junior right fielder Nick Lyon and redshirt freshman designated hitter Jim Hemming, the first of Hemming's career.
Junior first baseman Garrett Atkins added a two run homer in the fourth, while junior catcher Forrest Johnson went deep in the fifth. Canales scored the Bruins' eighth run in the sixth when he lead off with a base hit, stole second and advanced to third and scored on two wild pitches by Husky reliever Taylor Grant.
The Bruins added three security runs in the seventh when Canales walked with the bases loaded and junior second baseman Chase Utley singled in two more, extending his hitting streak to 17 games.
The Huskies threatened in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with no out on two hit batters and a base hit off Roe. UCLA then turned to redshirt freshman Kevin Jerkens out of the bullpen, who struck out UW lead-off man Marc Rittenhouse. Freshman Mike Kunes then came in to pitch for the Bruins and fought his way out of the jam, striking out pinch-hitter Tyler Davidson and getting third baseman Michael Done to fly out to right to end the inning.
Lyon led the UCLA attack, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Hemming was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI as well. Canales finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases.
Senior first baseman Ed Erickson had a double and a solo home run for Washington, while freshman shortstop Tila Reynolds was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run.
The Bruins nearly turned a triple play in the fifth inning when Rittenhouse scored from second base on a 6-4-3 double play, just sliding pass the tag at home by Johnson.
UCLA hits the road this week, as the Bruins travel to San Diego Wed., March 29 for a 2 p.m. game before facing Oregon State for a three-game Pac-10 series in Corvallis, Ore. March 31-April 2.
