UCLA baseball drops game to Gonzaga in tight 10-inning loss
A cohort of MLB scouts went to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night to watch Griffin Canning pitch. They were all sitting in the section right behind home plate, directly in the junior’s sightline. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By David Gottlieb
Feb. 25, 2017 10:52 a.m.
The Bruins have only played four games this season, but three of them are starting to look very similar.
Pitch really well to start the game, don’t score very many runs and then see what happens when the bullpen gets the ball.
That was the story Friday night, too, when junior Griffin Canning allowed two hits and struck out 12 over seven scoreless innings, but UCLA baseball (2-2) dropped the game 2-1 in 10 innings to Gonzaga (3-2).
“We’re gonna play a lot of tight games,” said coach John Savage. “It’s frustrating. We had 13 guys left on base, and that’s a good formula to lose tight games. We did that again tonight, so just not getting that clutch hit.”
Redshirt sophomore Nick Valaika provided the Bruins’ only run of the ballgame in the second, launching a solo shot into left field on the first pitch he saw. The Bruins came up with eight hits on the night, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
“The past couple games we’ve got caught in that same situation,” Valaika said. “We let team hang around and we don’t have the best quality at bats in those situations. … We’re a younger team, we’re gonna get better.”
With UCLA up 1-0, Justin Hooper came on in relief in the eighth and allowed a leadoff double. The sophomore struck out the next two batters he faced and induced a groundout from the third to erase the threat.
Hooper stayed in for the ninth, giving up a base hit and a sacrifice bunt. Savage went to his closer, inserting sophomore Brian Gadsby into the one-out, one-on situation. The Bulldog baserunner advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout to tie the game. A catch on the warning track ended the frame.
After the Bruins left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Gadsby returned to the mound and walked two of the five batters he faced in the 10th, surrendering the lead on a single before he was pulled.
“Gadsby didn’t execute pitches; walking guys at the end of the game is a recipe to be in trouble,” Savage said. “To walk two guys at the end of the game in that type of situation should not happen.”
The series with Gonzaga continues with a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
“Tough loss for sure. When you have a starter pitch that well on a Friday night, it’s tough to lose that way,” Savage said. “We just got to be able to come back tomorrow.”
