Errors Doom UCLA In 7-6 Loss To Oregon St.

Last weekend, UCLA went on the road and dropped the series opener, only to come back and win the next two to capture a key three-game set from Arizona. This weekend, the Bruins did the hard work on Friday, picking up the opener, but then they dropped the Saturday contest. That pushed them to Sunday, where three errors proved more important than out-hitting Oregon St., 12-5, as the Beavers claimed the series finale to top the Bruins, 9-6, and win the series.

Zack Weiss was victimized by errors, but all three of them were his own. He was a mess trying to defend his position on sacrifice bunts so despite striking out four, surrendering just two hits and not allowing an earned run in 3.1 innings, the junior allowed four runs in 3.1 innings to take the loss. David Berg's scoreless innings streak came to end end after 2.2 innings of two-run ball and Ryan Deeter allowed an unearned run while getting just one out. Scott Griggs did strike out three in his 1.2 innings, but it wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, Beau Amaral's 21 game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday as he went 0-for-3 with a walk, but he did walk one and drive a run in. Cody Regis has a monster game, picking up three hits, including a home run, three RBI and three runs to lead the way for the Bruins and Jeff Gelalich added three hits of his own in the losing effort.

Weiss' struggles to field his position started early on. After a walk started the borrom of the first, he threw the ball away on a sacrifice bunt to put men at second and third with nobody out. A pair of groundouts scoring the two base runners and the Beavers were up 2-0 early on.

Oregon St. would not lead for long thanks to Regis. Gelalich singled on the first pitch of the second inning and when Regis came up, Gelalich was still on base. He would only be there for three more pitches, though, because Regis hit a 2-0 pitch out to right center to even the game at two apiece.

Once again, Weiss gifted Oregon St. runs in the fourth. Like in the first, a walk started the frame, then a walk and throwing error on a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position with none out. A single scored one of those men, then Weiss bundled a squeeze bunt, allowing the second man to score. That gave the Beavers a two-run lead and spelled the end for Weiss.

It took until the seventh, but UCLA got even again. Trevor Brown singled to start the inning, stook second on a groundout then scored on Regis' base hit. A double by Shane Zeile moved Regis to third before a wild pitch scored him and things were all even once again.

The tie game would not even last a half inning because the Beavers had an answer in the bottom of the inning. A walk and double put two in scoring position before a single scored the pair. A walk and sacrifice bunt moved the man to third before a passed ball scored the third run of the inning for a 7-4 Oregon St. lead.

UCLA had their chance to get even in the ninth, but poor base running left them short. Singles by Regis and Zeile started the frame, but when pinch hitter Chris Keck singled, Zeile tried to go from first to third. The problem is that Regis stayed at third so Zeile was tagged out. A sacrifice fly scored Regis and single by Valaika put men on the corners for Cody Keefer to drive in a run to make it 7-6, but had Zeile not been thrown out, the game would have been tied. Instead, Gelalich flied out to end the game and the Beavers captured the series.

Thanks to losses by both Oregon and Arizona, UCLA remains just one game out of the lead in the Pac-12. With a chance to go back home, but always dangerous Stanford visiting, though, things could get interesting, or the Bruins can make a statement next weekend.