UCLA takes down North Carolina State in College World Series
By Tyler Drohan
June 18, 2013 9:10 p.m.
With another 2-1 victory, UCLA baseball’s second in as many games, the Bruins are now just one win away from advancing to the championship series of the College World Series.
Though it struggled early on at the plate, UCLA took advantage of a few key mistakes in the fifth inning that were enough for junior starting pitcher Nick Vander Tuig and sophomore closer David Berg to finish off North Carolina State.
The scuffling Bruins finally got to Wolfpack starter Logan Jernigan in the fifth after doing little against him early on. Senior second baseman Cody Regis got things started, working a full-count walk with one out. Junior left fielder Brenton Allen followed with a single to right, which was followed by a walk to load the bases, forcing Jernigan out of the game.
Sophomore third baseman Kevin Kramer greeted the new pitcher, lifting a single to center to tie the game. After a pop out, Allen scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
From there, Vander Tuig cruised on the mound after a shaky third inning. He allowed just one run in seven-plus innings which included five 1-2-3 frames.
Berg came on in the bottom of the eighth with a runner at first and no outs. Berg hit the first batter he faced to put runners at first and second. But the closer got a force out at third on an attempted sacrifice bunt, a fly out to the warning track in left and a strikeout to put down the threat.
UCLA will face the winner of Thursday night’s game between North Carolina and North Carolina State on Friday.
Compiled by Tyler Drohan, Bruin Sports senior staff
