Box Score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Junior first baseman Garrett Atkins hit a
three-run home
run over the left field fence in the bottom of the ninth inning,
breaking a 5-5
tie and lifting the UCLA baseball team over Arizona 8-5 in the
series finale at
Jackie Robinson Stadium Monday evening.
The Bruins swept the Wildcats in the three-game series, their
third Pac-10 sweep
and sixth overall. UCLA has now won six in a row and nine of
its last 11 games,
improving to 34-22 overall and 16-5 in the Pac-10. Arizona
falls to 25-28
overall and 7-14 in league action.
Atkins' 16th home run of the season broke a 5-5 tie since the
fifth inning and
capped a two-out ninth inning rally. Junior right fielder Matt
Pearl dropped a
two-out double near the left field line in shallow left field
and junior second
baseman Chase Utley was intentionally walked. A passed ball by
Arizona catcher
Ken Riley put runners in scoring position, setting up the
game-winning bomb by
Atkins.
UCLA junior reliever Jon Brandt (6-5) picked up the win,
throwing four shutout
innings and allowing just four hits and striking out two.
Junior left-hander
Bobby Roe started for the Bruins, allowing five runs (four
earned) on five hits
through five innings. Roe struck out six and had a season-high
four wild
pitches.
Arizona's Mike Meyer (1-3) suffered the loss, pitching the ninth
and
surrendering the game-winning home run. Meyer came into the
game in relief of
starter Tony Milo, who threw five scoreless innings after
allowing five runs
(three earned) in the first three innings. Milo tied a
career-high with 12
strikeouts and also tied a school record by striking out six
consecutive Bruins
in the fifth and sixth innings.
Atkins led the Bruins with the bat, going 2-for-5 with three RBI
and extended
his hitting streak to a season-high 16 games, while Pearl was
3-for-5 including
two doubles and three runs scored. Junior catcher Forrest
Johnson extended his
hitting streak to 16 games as well with a third inning triple
and on the same
play came around to score on a error by Arizona center fielder
Troy Gingrich.
UCLA sophomore third baseman Randall Shelley also homered, a
solo shot to center
field in the bottom of the second inning. Junior left fielder
Bill Scott had an
RBI double in the first inning.
Arizona was paced by shortstop Keoni DeRenne who went 2-for-5
with a double and
a home run. DeRenne's solo home run in the top of the fifth
tied the score 5-5
after a solo home run by right fielder Rafell Jones in the
fourth inning had cut
the Bruin lead to 5-4. Jones was also 3-for-4 with two runs and
an RBI.
The Bruins now hit the road for the final regular season series,
a Pac-10
showdown with Stanford in Palo Alto Friday, May 19 through
Sunday, May 21. UCLA
is in first place by a game, while the Cardinal is tied with
Arizona State for
second place in the conference.
Arizona 120 110 000 5 9 3
UCLA 131 000 003 8 8 1
WP - Jon Brandt (6-5). LP - Mike Meyer (1-3). Save - None.
2B - Keoni DeRenne; Kenny Huff; Matt Pearl 2; Bill Scott. 3B -
Forrest Johnson
(3).
HR - Keoni DeRenne (5); Rafell Jones (2); Garrett Atkins (16);
Randall Shelley
(4).
SB - Erik Torres; Rafell Jones; Matt Pearl. CS - Troy Gingrich
Start: 6:06 p.m.
Time: 3:01
Attendance: 448
