UCLA pulls out victory despite errors allowing 3 runs to score
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 25, 2001 9:00 p.m.
UCLA 8 TULANE 3
By Jeff Agase
Daily Bruin Reporter
The No. 24 UCLA baseball team got only one crack at No. 16
Tulane this weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium, but they certainly
made the best of it.
After an 8-3 Friday win, the weekend rains forced the second and
third games of the series to be canceled.
Friday’s contest was not without its story lines, however.
Bruin ace Josh Karp took the mound in his fourth start of the
season and surrendered only one hit in six innings while fanning
eight batters and carrying a no-hitter deep into the fourth inning.
But two errors in the fourth allowed three runs to score for the
Green Wave.
UCLA Coach Gary Adams was displeased with his team’s
defensive gaffes. “The first five innings, we were
dead,” he said. “We were sloppy on defense ““
actually, we were horrible on defense. When our pitcher goes out
and allows one hit in six innings and they get three runs,
we’re not doing something right.”
The Bruin bats rebutted in the bottom of the sixth when
designated hitter Brian Baron connected on a leadoff single and
advanced to second on a wild pitch by Tulane hurler Nick
Bourgeoise. Adam Berry walked, bringing up Eric Reece with two
runners on. Reece’s single scored Baron and moved Berry to
third. A balk by Bourgeoise scored Berry and Randall Shelley
walked, ending Bourgeoise’s evening and bringing in reliever
Andrew Corona.
Corona didn’t fare much better. He beaned catcher Casey
Grzecka with the bases loaded and yielded a bloop RBI single to
shortstop Josh Canales, who later scored on Baron’s second
single of the inning. All told, four hits, three walks, and one hit
batsman gave the Bruins a 6-3 edge.
UCLA (10-4) shored up its defense in the eighth inning with
consecutive gems by center fielder Matt Pearl and left fielder Adam
Berry. The previous inning two doubles had given the Bruins two
more runs and the final five-run advantage. Reliever Mike Kunes
allowed one hit in three innings of work, picking up the save.
Karp won his second game of the year and refused to be
frustrated with the three runs scored on one hit.
“That wasn’t our Bruin defense that we usually
play,” he said. “There were just some freak things that
happened. They came back and got me the win right after I came
out.” That all three wins required come-from-behind heroics
worried Adams.”I told the team we can’t play lazy ball
for five innings then all the sudden turn the switch and expect to
win,” he said.
The teams finished three innings of Sunday’s game before
the umpires called the game with Tulane up 4-1.
