UCLA Edged in Extras at Oregon
EUGENE, Ore. – The UCLA baseball team dropped a 3-2 decision in 10 innings to No. 13 Oregon on Saturday afternoon at PK Park, with Sam Novitske driving in the game-winning run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th.
The score was tied for the majority of the contest after UCLA (22-13, 9-8 Pac-12) and Oregon (24-8, 10-4) traded two-spots early to make it 2-2 after three. Both teams had multiples chances to go ahead during regulation, but it took extras for either team to finally break through.
UCLA pitchers combined to allow just three runs on Saturday. Junior righty Sean Mullen was solid in a four-plus inning start, striking out seven while allowing just three hits and two runs.
The bullpen combined to allow just one run over a combined 5 1/3 innings. Even the one run would have been unearned in normal circumstances, as Kenyon Yovan led off the 10th with a single and moved to third on an error and a bases-loading intentional walk before scoring on Novtiske's walk-off base hit.
Charles Harrison, Daniel Colwell, Adrian Chaidez, and Michael Townsend were all unscored upon out of the 'pen for UCLA. Freshman righty Max Rajcic was the tough-luck loser, giving up a pair of hits over 1 1/3 innings of action.
The Bruins punished Oregon starter Cullen Kafka for a leadoff walk in the second, ultimately rallying for two runs in the inning. Sophomore DH Josh Hahn drove in the first with a ground-rule double over the right field fence to score JT Schwartz from second, and sophomore right fielder Michael Curialle followed with a seeing-eye single up the middle to plate Hahn.
T2 | Michael Curialle (@baseballmjc) sneaks one up the middle to make it a two-spot.
UCLA 2, Oregon 0
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— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) April 24, 2021
UCLA had a pair of solid opportunities to go ahead in the late innings, getting two aboard with one out in both the eighth and ninth innings. But Oregon reliever Andrew Mosiello weathered the storm both times, keeping the Bruins off the board.
Saturday marked UCLA's first extra-inning affair of the 2021 season.
The Bruins look to salvage the series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.