UCLA baseball defeats Arizona State after 13-run performance in 6th inning

The Bruins jumped out to a series lead in their second-highest-scoring game of the season.

No. 13 UCLA baseball (28-13, 12-7 Pac-12) defeated Arizona State (20-23, 9-10) by a score of 19-2 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday behind a 13-run sixth inning, the most runs in a single inning by the Bruins all season and one run fewer than their program record. Three blue and gold starters had three-hit games while every spot in the starting lineup tallied at least one base knock.

Coach John Savage said the offense performed well as a cohesive unit.

“Guys did a really good job of stringing at-bats together,” Savage said. “Won a bunch of 3-2 counts, it seemed like they really were working together tonight, and that makes it tough for anybody when those guys are passing the baton.”

The Bruins’ offense kicked off in the third inning with a double from sophomore center fielder/left fielder Carson Yates. Yates advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt-turned-single from graduate student left fielder Kenny Oyama after Sun Devil left-hander Adam Tulloch slipped while fielding the ball. Both runners would end up scoring on sacrifice flies to give the home team a two-run lead.

UCLA added four more in the fifth on an RBI double and sacrifice fly along with a two-run homer from freshman second baseman Ethan Gourson. The Bruins’ three sacrifice flies Friday set a season high.

Savage said productive outs are integral to getting more at-bats for the team.

“(They’re) critically important,” Savage said. “Moving runners, scoring runners from third with less than two outs, getting a runner from second to third with no outs, it seemed like there were a lot of those sorts of situations. It extends the inning.”

Then came the 13-run marathon. Before recording a single out, the blue and gold plated six runs while Arizona State committed three errors. Junior catcher Darius Perry capped off the first half of the sixth frame with a two-run double, his first two-bagger of the inning.

The Bruin backstop said he had been working on controlling his pace at the plate.

“First two at-bats today (Friday), I was a little sped up,” Perry said. “Two strikeouts in my first two, and just tried to slow things down and see it deep and get a good swing off. Felt good. It worked out at the end today.”

The Bruins proceeded to score seven more runs – all with two outs – starting with back-to-back bases-loaded walks. After two singles, another RBI double by Perry, a walk and a wild pitch, UCLA held a 19-0 advantage and had batted through the entire lineup twice.

While the blue and gold collected 16 hits, sophomore right-hander Max Rajcic made his first start in a series opener this year. Rajcic held the Sun Devils to three hits over a career-high 8.1 innings pitched while notching a career-best 11 strikeouts.

“That’s the best he’s been all year,” Savage said. “He’s pounding the strike zone with all kinds of different pitches. He deserved to be run out there in the ninth inning. … Our starter was exceptional.”

Rajcic retired the first 10 batters and recorded 19 outs in 19 batters faced before hitting a batter in the top of the seventh. The righty was eventually charged with two earned runs after a pair of hits in the ninth ended his time on the mound.

The sophomore said he was proud of his performance despite the way it ended.

“Obviously want to go complete-game shutout, but it is what it is,” Rajcic said. “I’m happy with where I’ve came from, building off my starts from the first start to the start today.”