Big 5th Inning Leads UCLA To 10-2 Shellacking Of Arizona

Adam Plutko made what his probably his last start at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night and his teammates made sure he would go out with a win with a huge fifth inning. The Bruins struck for seven runs in the frame and cruised from there in a 10-2 beat down of Arizona in the opening game of their Pac-12 series.

Cody Reguis delivered the hammer in the fifth with a three-run double, but that was just half of the action in the senior' huge game. He went 2-for-3 on the night, scored a run and drove in six to lead UCLA with a monster performance. Eric Filia and Kevin Williams each did the job of getting on base and scoring two runs each, but it was a complete team effort for UCLA as eight Bruins came around to score on the evening.

That all made it easy on Plutko, who improved to 7-2 with a win on the night. The junior tossed 6.2 innings of two-run ball, allowing just six hits and striking out seven before handing the ball to the bullpen, who were as dependable as always with 2.1 shutout inning of relief.

The Wildcats jumped out in front early with three consecutive hits in the second. A double followed by two singles put Arizona in front and the following inning they added another run to take a 2-0 lead. With the Bruins' offensive struggles, a 2-0 deficit may have been too much and through four innings it looked like it was, but they broke the game wide open in the fifth.

Regis led off the frame with a walk and it was followed by a Pat Gallagher single. It proved to be the start of a huge inning when Brenton Allen singled to right, scoring Regis. After a Brian Carroll was hit by a pitch, the Bruins had a man in scoring position and Kevin Kramer followed with a fielder's choice that scored Gallagher to tie the game at 2-2. It also loaded the bases so when Filia walked, it forced the go-ahead run in. A wild pitch then scored another run and after an intentional walk, Regis came up again in the inning with the Bruins up 4-2. UCLA already had a big inning, but Regis added to it, smoking a pitch into right center to empty the bases and the Bruins led 7-2.

Plutko made sure that momentum would stick with a two-strikeout 1-2-3 sixth and the Bruins were cruising, but Regis wasn't done. He added a second three-RBI double in the seventh to put a bow on the big UCLA win that has them creeping closer to a Regional host spot.