Bruins salvage break, pull out three of four

Monday, April 6, 1998

Bruins salvage break, pull out three of four

BASEBALL: UCLA falters in first game; captures series vs. Golden
Bears

By Kristina Wilcox

Daily Bruin Staff

The UCLA baseball team played the final four games of spring
break against the California Golden Bears, winning the last
three.

In the first contest, Cal (13-21, 1-16 in Six-Pac) triumphed at
Evans Diamond on April 1, 11-4. It was the first and only
conference win for the Golden Bears thus far this season. Cal’s
starting pitcher Jason Dennis (4-2) dominated the Bruins (14-22,
8-13) for eight innings. One of the four runs scored by UCLA was an
Eric Valent home run, the first of four by him in the four games.
Starter Jon Brandt (1-4) took the loss.

On April 3, UCLA won 15-5 at Jackie Robinson Stadium to open the
three-game weekend series. The Bruins jumped out to a 13-3 lead
after three innings. Third baseman Garrett Atkins led the UCLA
offense with three hits (one homer) and four RBI.

Saturday afternoon matchup was canceled in favor of a Sunday
doubleheader between the two league rivals. El Nino struck
again.

In the first game on Sunday, the Bruins came back from a 10-run
deficit in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings.
They eventually won in 10 innings on a fly ball single by Valent
that drove in one of three base runners.

There were a lot of Bruins on base during the last three
innings. Cal relievers gave up nine walks in the last 2 1/3 innings
and 14 overall. Four of the six runs scored in the bottom of the
ninth were on bases-loaded walks.

Atkins once again played a key role in the offense for the
Bruins. He hit his fourth and fifth homers of the season, driving
in four runs. With his two singles in the second game, he extended
his hitting streak to 23 games.

"That game was a miracle comeback," head coach Gary Adams
said.

The second one proved to be a miracle as well, for both teams
came back with strong pitching. After scoring 31 runs in the early
game, the two squads managed just nine runs (UCLA 6, Cal 3).

Starter Chad Cislak (3-7) had an excellent outing over 6 2/3
innings. The coaches and Cislak worked on his pitching delivery
during the break, and it paid off for him on Sunday.

"That was his best outing on the year," Adams said. "His slider
was really working, and the hitters didn’t look comfortable up
there."

Valent continued with his home run tear, hitting two and moving
his season total up to 18 homers. With his seventh-inning homer, he
collected his 190th career RBI, breaking the previous team record.
He is also close to breaking the Pac-10 career home run mark set by
former Bruin Troy Glaus last season.

"I didn’t know I was close to breaking it," Valent said of the
RBI record.

"Maybe when I’m older it will mean more to me. I’m just glad to
help the team win."