Riverside Rolls Over UCLA, 17-6

When your starting pitcher doesn't record an out, you're usually going to be in trouble. That was the base for the Bruins tonight when starting pitcher Garett Claypool allowed four runs without record an out before head coach John Savage gave him the hook. Few of the other UCLA pitchers fared any better as only two of the seven pitchers the Bruins used didn't allow a run, while the other five allowed at least two. The defense didn't help the UCLA pitchers out either with four errors.

UCLA scored a run in the first on a RBI single by Cody Decker, but that was the best it would get for the Bruins. Riverside's Carl Uhl led off the bottom of the first with a home run. The Highlanders would add another in the first and put runners on first and second when Savage went out to take the ball from Claypool. He gave the ball to Rob Rasmussen who gave up a two RBI double to the first batter he faced. He'd surrender one more before the inning ended and after one, UC Riverside led, 5-1.

The Bruins added a pair of runs in the second inning, but the Highlanders responded with one in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-3. A solo home run to lead off the third by Decker brought the Bruins within two at 6-4, but the Highlanders ended any hope the Bruins had with five runs in the bottom of the third.

UC Riverside added one more in the fourth to make it 12-4 and while UCLA added two in the fifth, Riverside scored three in the sixth and two in the eighth to give us out 17-6 final score.

Claypool picked up the loss, his first decision of the year, after giving up three hits and four runs without recording an out. Rasmussen relieved Claypool and allowed five runs in 2.1 innings before giving way to Matt Grace who allowed three runs, two earned, in 0.2 innings. Brendan Lafferty went longer than any other Bruin, giving up three runs in three innings. Jason Novak was able to put a zero on the board in his only inning of work, while Erik Goeddell gave up two runs without getting an out. Mitchell Beacom finished up the game with a scoreless inning.

Decker was one of the only bright spots for the Bruins with a 3-5 effort that included a homer, two runs and two RBI. Blair Dunlap was the only other Bruin with multiple hits as UCLA was out-hit by Riverside, 24-9.

UCLA is now 17-20 on the year and will likely need to go 13-6 the rest of the way to be in regional consideration. That attempt to sneak into a regional will continue on Friday when they begin a three game set with #17 Oregon St.