UCLA Baseball: Bruins Bash 4 HRs, Blank Wazzou, 10-0

Yesterday’s UCLA baseball game was literally over four pitches into the first inning as the Bruins crushed Washington State, 10-0 to give UCLA the series win. The win was the Bruins’ 40th of the season. That set a program record for the fastest team to reach 40 wins.

Garrett Mitchell started the game off by hitting a single to right center on the first pitch he received. Ryan Kreidler followed and, with a 1-1 count, he hit a two-run homer to left center, putting the Bruins up, 2-0, early.

The second inning started off with a pair of doubles. First, Noah Cardenas hit one to left. Then, Jake Hirabayashi hit one to center which scored Cardenas. Both Matt McLain and Mitchell grounded out to the pitcher, bringing up Kreidler with two outs. Kreidler joined the second inning doubles parade by sending one to left center and bringing home Hirabayashi to give UCLA a 4-0 lead.

The Bruins went down in order in the third and the fourth innings, but they were back at it in the fifth. Kreidler led the inning off by drawing a walk on five pitches. He tried stealing second by got caught. Chase Strumpf also walked, which brought up Jake Pries. Pries flew out to left for the first out of the inning, but Strumpf was able to tag up and head to second. Michael Toglia smashed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for another pair of runs for the Bruins, who now led 6-0 and weren’t done yet.

In the sixth, Matt McLain became the third Bruin to homer when he put one over the wall in left center with one out. Mitchell came to the plate and singled. He stole second and moved to third when Kreidler flew out. Strumpf joined the homer parade with a two-out, two-run homer to left center which made it 9-0, Bruins.

When UCLA added one more in the seventh, it was the only inning that the Bruins scored in where they didn’t score at least two runs. Toglia led the inning off with a double and he scored when Jack Stronach singled to right.

While all of this was going on offensively, Jack Ralston was pitching a gem. He threw seven innings and didn’t allow a run. He gave up just four hits and a walk while striking out 12. With the win secured, Michael Townsend pitched a scoreless eighth and Daniel Colwell finished off the shutout with a scoreless ninth.

Today, the Bruins look to break out their brooms with a series sweep of the Cougars when the teams meet again for the final game of the series at 12:05 pm PT.

This is your UCLA Bruins vs. Washington State Cougars baseball game three open thread.


Go Bruins!!!