UCLA baseball wraps up 1st road trip of season with win over Texas

The Bruins capped off their first road trip of the season with a win over the top team in the country.

UCLA baseball (8-4) wrapped up its road trip to the Shriners Children’s College Classic in Houston with a 5-1 win over No. 1 Texas (11-1) on Sunday, handing the Longhorns their first loss of the season. The victory capped off the three-game weekend slate that also saw the blue and gold pick up a 2-1 loss to Baylor (6-5) on Friday and a 15-3 win in seven innings against Oklahoma (5-5) on Saturday.

“We’re building our identity,” said coach John Savage. “That was the focus of the trip. Friday night was a loss. … We came back and played very well against Oklahoma and we played very well (Sunday). So hopefully it’s a step in the right direction and we can really get some momentum out of this.”

Friday’s decision came courtesy of the long ball, with all three runs scored off home runs. A two-run shot in the fourth inning gave Baylor the lead, which it would hold on to until the end of the game. The Bruins were held scoreless for the first eight frames until a pinch hit home run by sophomore outfielder Carson Yates cut the Bears’ lead in half.

With two outs in the ninth, UCLA loaded the bases on a double, walk and hit batter but failed to cash in when freshman shortstop Cody Schrier’s ground out ended the contest.

Sophomore right-hander Jake Brooks recorded the loss but covered all eight innings for the Bruins, the longest outing from any pitcher this season.

“I don’t think anyone really anticipated Jake being our Friday guy, but the first three weeks he’s certainly pitched like one,” Savage said. “You have to give him a lot of credit for getting better.”

The blue and gold posted its highest run total of the season against Oklahoma on Saturday, tallying 15 runs against the Sooners. A grand slam by Yates – his second home run in as many days – capped off a six-run first for the Bruins.

UCLA tallied another six-run inning in the third, with six different players collecting an RBI. The Bruins put up their last three runs of the game in the sixth, with Yates’ seventh RBI of the weekend pushing across the final run.

Yates recorded five hits and four runs, along with the seven RBIs in nine at-bats across the three games.

“We needed some guys to step up, and (Yates) was clearly one of those guys that had some big moments,” Savage said. “He looked comfortable, and he’s starting to get into his athleticism and his strength. It’s fun to watch his development.”

UCLA struck first against Texas on Sunday with an RBI single from junior catcher Darius Perry in the third, but the Longhorns tied it up an inning later with a leadoff home run against redshirt sophomore right-hander Kelly Austin, the first run he has allowed all season.

The Bruins retook the lead in the following inning, tallying a pair of runs behind an RBI single from graduate student first baseman Jake Palmer and a passed ball that brought Palmer in from third. UCLA extended its lead to four with one run apiece in the sixth and ninth frames.

Austin, who struck out eight batters over 5.1 innings, said the atmosphere against Texas felt like a road game despite the neutral site.

“I was talking to (volunteer assistant coach David) Berg earlier and he mentioned to me, ‘It’s a lot more fun to shut up the other team’s fans than to fire your own (fan’s) up,’” Austin said. “It sure was fun today.”

Yates said the Bruins’ offensive performance in the final two games of the Shriners Children’s College Classic is a good sign for the team moving forward.

“If our offense can keep clicking like they did the last two days, then we can be a really great team throughout the year,” Yates said.

Austin said the biggest takeaway from the weekend was the team’s ability to perform against any opponent.

“It proved to us, especially the young guys, that no matter what team we’re playing – whether it’s the worst team in the country or the best team in the country – if we stay to our approach, we’re going to have success.”