UCLA Rallies to Beat ECU 7-5 Friday Night in Westwood
ECU held a three run lead heading into the sixth inning but UCLA scored three runs, added two more in the eighth and then shut the Pirates down in the ninth with the bases loaded to claim a 7-5 game one victory Friday night in Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Nate Hadley remained perfect on the year for the Bruins with the victory to improve to 5-0. Holden Powell got his ninth save and Evan Voliva came on in the eighth and was credited with the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season for ECU.
Alec Burleson had three hits including a two run run double and added a sac fly to score another run in the loss that dropped (8)ECU to 25-8. With the victory the top ranked Bruins improved to 25-6
In the bottom of the second inning, Matt McClain’s got things going for UCLA with his fifth triple of the season that scored a run and got the Bruins on the scoreboard first at 1-0.
Alec Burleson’s sac fly to left in the top of the third inning brought Bryant Packard in from third base to even the score. Noah Cardenus then got his first career home run in the bottom of the frame and UCLA recaptured the lead at 2-1.
After hitting Packard with a pitch and giving up a hit to Lane Hoover, Jack Filby came on in relief of Zach Pettway who was lifted in the fourth. Pettway lasted 83 pitches and 3.2 innings giving up three hits and four runs with one strikeout and six walks.
That set up Spencer Brickhouse who knocked a chopper past first base that scored a pair of Pirate runs to give ECU a 3-2 lead. Then Alec Burleson got in the act when he laced a double just inside the first base line to score two more runs and the lead grew to 5-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Bruins had runners on second and third after an Agnos throw out attempt to second base got past Brady Lloyd. Agnos did get the second out before he was lifted after 94 pitches for Sam Lanier. Agnos exited with eight strikeouts and a just two walks.
Michael Toglia then promptly hammered a three-run homer off of Lanier to right that tied the game at 5-5.
Nate Hadley came on in the seventh for (1)UCLA to retire the side in two straight innings. Right-hander Evan Voliva entered the game for ECU in the bottom of the eighth to face the two, three and four batters for the Bruins.
Toglia was at it again in the bottom of the eighth when he doubled 370 feet off the centerfield wall for nearly a home run of Voliva to score a pair of runs that gave UCLA a 7-5 lead.
Powell walked Thomas Francisco to open the ECU half of the ninth. Then after Packard popped out, Hoover was beaned to put a pair of Pirates aboard. After Powell struck out Brickhouse on a breaking ball, Burleson got a base hit to load the bases, but Turner Brown’s soft liner to right field ended the ECU threat and the Bruins picked up game one.
