UCLA baseball drops seventh consecutive game despite strong pitching

Griffin Canning gave UCLA baseball a chance to win Thursday night.

But the team didn’t take it.

The sophomore hurled a complete game, letting up four runs – three earned – on just five hits en route to a 4-1 loss to Stanford, extending UCLA’s losing streak to a season-long seven games.

The Cardinal (16-8, 5-2 Pac-12) took a 2-0 lead over the Bruins (12-15, 4-6) in the second inning when Alex Dunlap smacked a two-run shot to left field. Dunlap also picked up an RBI single in the fourth to put Stanford up by three.

UCLA would respond in the bottom of the fourth, when a double from junior first baseman Luke Persico and a single from redshirt senior right fielder Eric Filia brought the tying run to the plate. A sacrifice fly by first baseman Sean Bouchard was all the Bruin offense could make of the threat, though.

Down 4-1, the Bruins threatened again in the eighth. Freshman left fielder Daniel Amaral and senior second baseman Trent Chatterton started off the inning with a pair of singles, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out. But UCLA couldn’t scrape a run across, and the Bruins dropped game one to the Cardinal.

Worth noting

After coach John Savage pinch-hit redshirt freshman Zander Clarke for redshirt freshman catcher Daniel Rosica in the eighth, senior Brett Urabe handled the catching duties in the ninth inning. Catcher Jake Hirabayashi hasn’t played since last Friday’s game against California, in which the freshman suffered a concussion.

Amaral pinch-hit for everyday left fielder Brett Stephens in the eighth, and stayed in the game for the ninth. Stephens is only hitting .160 this season, but Savage mentioned on Tuesday night that the junior has a history of success and is more ready to play everyday than Amaral.

Up next

Junior Grant Dyer (1-2, 6.08 ERA) will start Friday’s matchup for UCLA. He’ll face off against freshman wunderkind Tristan Beck (4-2, 1.50 ERA) at 7 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium.