University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Washington St
Baseball Defeats Washington State 14-10
April 28, 2000 | Baseball
April 28, 2000
PULLMAN, Wash. - Redshirt freshman designated hitter Jim Hemming went 3-for-5, including a two-run double and a home run to tie a career high with four RBI as the UCLA baseball team defeated Washington State 14-10 in the first game of a three-game Pac-10 series at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday afternoon.
With the victory, the Bruins broke a brief three-game losing streak and improve to 26-20 overall, 9-4 in the Pac-10, while the Cougars fall to 16-27 and 4-12 in league action.
Hemming, along with junior right fielder Matt Pearl and junior center fielder Charles Merricks each either set or matched a career-high with three hits and accounted for nine of the 14 Bruin runs in a see-saw battle with the Cougars.
With the tie scored 2-2 after three innings, UCLA exploded for five runs in the fourth, only to have the Cougars score three in each of the fourth and fifth innings off Bruin starter Rob Henkel, taking an 8-7 lead after five.
The Bruins then answered with four in the sixth and three in the seventh to cruise for the victory. Hemming tied the game 8-8 in the sixth with a bloop single in shallow left center driving in junior first baseman Garrett Atkins, who led off the inning with a basehit. Merricks then followed with a clutch line-drive off the wall in right field which was held to a single, but drove in junior left fielder Bill Scott with the go-ahead run.
UCLA added two more in the inning as Pearl walked with the bases loaded and junior second baseman Chase Utley reached on an error by WSU second baseman Bookie Gates.
In the top of the seventh, the Bruins padded their 11-8 lead on a two-run double by Hemming and an RBI single from Merricks. Washington State scored two in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Zach Bode and an RBI double by shortstop Shawn Stevenson for the final 14-10 score.
Redshirt freshman right-hander Kevin Jerkens earned the victory in relief and improves to 2-1 on the season. Henkel lasted just 4.2 innings allowed eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits. WSU right-hander Les McTavish took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits through 2/3 of an inning in relief of starter Tyson Thompson.
UCLA racked up six extra basehits including doubles by Scott, junior catcher Forrest Johnson, Hemming and Merricks. Pearl led off the game with a triple, while Hemming's towering shot over the right field fence gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Bruin junior lefty Ryan Carter pitched the final 2.1 innings, without allowing a hit and striking out one.
The three-game series continues tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field.
