UCLA baseball attributes defeat by Long Beach State to fielding mistakes

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The errors had come back to haunt the Bruins.

After leading the Dirtbags by as many as three runs through six innings, an error from the Bruin infield led to a two-run frame before a misplay in the outfield in the next frame set their foes up to tie the game.

“You can’t give people extra outs in the months of May and June,” said coach John Savage.

The score was knotted up in the middle innings and the deadlock continued until the bottom of the 12th when Long Beach State (18-25, 7-11 Big West) hit a walk-off home run to give it a 4-3 midweek victory over No. 8 UCLA baseball (30-14, 14-7 Pac-12) at Blair Field.

The sixth-inning error came from freshman shortstop Cody Schrier. With a runner on first and the chance to get out of the frame with a routine throw to the bag, the ball slipped from Schrier’s hand, sailing over his first baseman’s head.

“It was a chopper, and the throw got away from me,” Schrier said. “I’ll take that one – that one’s on me.”

The miscue put a Long Beach State runner in scoring position, and the next Dirtbag up made the Bruins pay. With one swing, third baseman Jonathon Long drove a ball to the deepest part of the park, and the line drive thudded into the padded wall. His double scored both runners on base, cutting the UCLA lead to one.

“It’s tough that it (the error) came in the inning where they scored runs,” Schrier said. “It could have happened to anyone.”

Another mistake in the next inning cost the Bruins one more run.

On a ball plummeting quickly to the ground in front of him, junior right fielder Michael Curialle dove forward. He came up empty, and the ball continued to skip to the wall behind him. While not charged with an error, Curialle attempted to recover as Long Beach State‘s center fielder Tyler White sprinted into scoring position.

“The good thing is that he (Curialle) held him only to second,” Savage said. “That could have been a triple.”

A single brought White home, and the game was tied.

“If he catches it, you’re excited about it, with two outs and nobody on,” Savage said. “It (the error) changed the complexion of the inning, but that’s baseball.”

The squandered 3-0 lead had been built on the back of two RBIs from Schrier – one of them a home run – along with another solo home run from junior catcher Darius Perry.

Despite the mistake on defense, Savage said Schrier’s performance at the plate was crucial to keeping the Bruins in the game.

“Schrier’s an impact player,” Savage said. “There’s no question about it. He made an error tonight, but we wouldn’t be in the game if it weren’t for him. He was exceptional.”

Two Bruin arms held the Dirtbags scoreless through five innings. Senior left-hander Daniel Colwell made his first career start Tuesday, pitching three innings and allowing two hits. Junior right-hander Charles Harrison followed that up with two more scoreless innings.

“I’ve been here four years and been a reliever the whole time,” Colwell said. “It was great. I felt good. I felt like I was executing pitches.”

After Long Beach State tied the game, freshman right-handers Luke Jewett and Alonzo Tredwell along with freshman left-hander Ethan Flanagan combined for 12 strikeouts, three hits and one earned run in the late going.

Despite failing to score after six innings, the Bruin bats made solid contact as the late frames gave way to extra innings. In the eighth and 12th innings, UCLA had runners in scoring position but couldn’t bring them home.

In the top of the 11th, Curialle and sophomore designated hitter Daylen Reyes barreled up the ball, but their line drives were snagged by the gloves of the Long Beach State defense.

UCLA has now lost two consecutive midweek games and will turn its attention to Washington for a weekend series in Seattle beginning Friday.

“One pitch doesn’t determine your season, your career, your week even,” Colwell said. “We’ve got confidence in everyone. We just have to look forward to a fresh day.”