Bruins Pounce on Lions, 12-2
LOS ANGELES – Freshman third baseman Kyle Karros drove in four runs, every starter collected a hit, and the bullpen combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings as No. 25 UCLA defeated Loyola Marymount by a score of 12-2 on Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The Bruins (18-11) scored in each of their first three offensive innings and five of eight overall, going ahead for good with a single run in the second before opening the game up with a five-run third.
LMU (11-19) briefly tied the game after a two-run double from leadoff man Kenny Oyama made it 2-2 in the top of the second, but UCLA responded with 10 unanswered runs the rest of the way.
Karros, whose four RBIs were a career-high, had the big hit of UCLA's five-spot in the third, shooting a hard grounder over the first base bag and into the corner for a bases-clearing, three-run double. He came in moments later as junior center fielder Kevin Kendall (2-3, two runs) stroked a base hit into center field.
The Bruins put the game out of reach with three runs in the fifth, a rally capped off by an RBI double from Noah Cardenas (2-3, two RBIs) into the left field corner.
In the sixth inning, Karros expanded on his career-best day by turning on a 2-2 off-speed pitch and sending it over the left field fence for his first collegiate home run. That roundtripper put the lead into double digits and capped the day's scoring.
B6 | Kyle Karros turns on this one and sends it out for his first career home run 🎉🎉🎉
UCLA 12, LMU 2
📲 | https://t.co/IeyPY5lkUB#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/X6It5KUSxX
— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) April 14, 2021
Other than Oyama's run-scoring double in the second, LMU's bats were limited by a standout collective pitching effort from the Bruins.
Junior southpaw Daniel Colwell earned his first career victory with 2 2/3 innings of excellent relief. He retired the first six batters he faced and eight of nine overall, allowing just an infield chopper that went for a single.
Jack Filby, Adrian Chaidez, Charles Harrison, and Max Rajcic all followed with a scoreless inning apiece to cap off the win. The Bruin bullpen allowed just two hits overall over 6 2/3 shutout innings while striking out 10.
Nick Nastrini opened the game with 2 1/3 innings of two-run ball in which he struck out five. He was making his first start since Mar. 21.
With Tuesday's win, the Bruins improved to 5-0 this season in midweeks.
UCLA returns to Pac-12 Conference play this weekend with a three-game home set against Utah starting on Friday, Apr. 16, at 6:00 p.m. PT. All three games of the league set will be streamed live.