UCLA Baseball: #11 Bruins Face Michigan State After 4-3 Loss to Illinois

UCLA Baseball continues its weekend road trip to Minneapolis with another game in the DQ Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium. In this morning’s game, UCLA will take on Michigan State.

The Spartans started off the 2018 season with four road losses to Fresno State and followed that up with another road loss to Pepperdine last Friday before winning the final two games of a weekend series against the Waves.

Yesterday at the DQ Classic, the Spartans lost to Washington, 4-3, in ten innings. Meanwhile, UCLA’s bullpen gave up four 8th inning runs which proved costly as the Bruins lost to Illinois, 5-3.

Bruin starter Jake Bird held the Illini to one run despite allowing 7 hits and giving up 3 walks in 6-2/3 innings.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh, UCLA rallied to score three runs. RJ Teijero pinch hit for Daniel Rosica and drew a lead-off walk while Kevin Kendall pinch-ran for Teijero after he did. Jeremy Ydens moved Kendall to second with a single to left-center. Kendall stole third and scored when Jake Hirabayashi singled to center to tie the game. Michael Toglia was up next and he also singled to drive in Ydens and UCLA led 2-1. Chase Strumpf walked to load the bases with still no outs. Jake Pries hit into a 6-4-3 double play which scored Hirabayashi to give the Bruins an insurance run and the Bruins were up 3-1 after 6 and 1/2.

John Savage went to the pen with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the seventh and he brought he Nick Schiedler and he got the final out to end the threat by Illinois.

After a 1-2-3 top of the eighth by the Bruins, Savage went to his bullpen again with one out and a runner on first. Brian Gadsby could not keep the Illini from driving in four runs to take a 5-3 lead.

UCLA went down in order in the top of the ninth and the Bruins lost their second game of the season.

Ryan Thompson (1-0) got his first win of the season for Illinois while Gadsby (2-1) took the loss.

Jon Olsen (1-0, 2.84 ERA) is back on the mound this morning for UCLA and he will go up against the Spartans’ righty Ethan Landon (0-1, 2.38 ERA).

There’s no TV again today, but links for live stats and live audio can be found in the sidebar above.

This is your UCLA Bruins vs. Michigan State Spartans open thread.


Go Bruins!!!