Titans outrun Bruins down the stretch

Titans outrun Bruins down the stretch

By Ruben Gutierrez

After playing within one run of the Titans of Cal State
Fullerton for nine innings, the young UCLA baseball team received a
reality check in the final inning.

Despite mustering only four hits offensively, UCLA was only
trailing Fullerton 3-2 entering the ninth inning. Bruin pitcher
Mike Caravelli began the inning by walking rightfielder Jeremy
Giambi. Caravelli struck out the next batter, but catcher Jack
Jones tallied a double and reached third base on a UCLA error,
driving in Giambi. The next batter, center fielder Mark Kotsay, hit
a single to bring Jones home. Suddenly, the gap had widened to 5-2
and Caravelli was yanked in favor of freshman pitcher Ryan O’
Toole. While the first batter O’Toole faced grounded out, Kotsay
advanced to second. Kotsay then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Catcher Brian Lloyd then hit a line drive to center field to score
Kotsay and end the scoring.

"I felt we were going to win it all the way along, even when we
walked the lead off man," UCLA coach Gary Adams. "(Caravelli) threw
two quick strikes to the number nine hitter, then all of a sudden
it’s three and two. He’s been successful all year pitching the ball
down then at three and two he has to come in with it fast and the
guy hits a double down the line."

The Bruins began the bottom of the ninth inning with a glimmer
of hope, as pinch hitter Scott Seal led off with a single.
Fullerton pitcher Mark Chavez then proceeded to strike out the next
three Bruin batters and earn the save.

Offensively, UCLA had a bright spot in senior Gar Vallone, who
was being utilized in the designated hitter role instead of his
usual role as the starting shortstop. Vallone was two for four from
the plate and was walked once.

Besides Vallone’s efforts, the team could manage only three
other hits, one apiece from shortstop Troy Glaus, second baseman
Brett Nista and pinch hitter Scott Seal.

"I felt like our hitters could’ve done a better job," Adams
said. "Sometimes they swung at pitches they shouldn’t have swung
at, sometimes they let the umpire get to them a little bit. Little
things showed our immaturity.

"We’re a young club and we went through a few growing pains
today. I think by the end of the season we don’t lose a game like
this, we win a game like this at the end of the season."

* * *

Today UCLA travels to UC Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos (2
p.m.). UCSB currently has only one loss in the young season, after
taking two of three from a highly regarded Santa Clara team.

"Santa Clara is ranked eighteenth in the country and UCSB just
beat them two out of three. I saw them play on Sunday and they’re a
good ball club," said Adams.

Rick Heineman will be the starting pitcher for the Bruins, who
have had to shuffle their defensive lineup around considerably due
to injuries. Besides Vallone’s arm injury, starting center fielder
Brett Schafer is also tending to a similar injury. Catcher Tim
DeCinces, an All-America candidate, is out two weeks with an arm
injury. Zak Ammirato was the catcher against Fullerton, after
having moved to third when Troy Glaus moved to shortstop to replace
Vallone. Travis Boyd replaced Ammirato in the lineup at third last
night.