April 28, 2000

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Redshirt freshman Jim Hemming went 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored to lead the UCLA Bruins to a 14-10 slugfest win over the Washington State Cougars in Pac-10 action Friday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field.

The win broke a streak of seven losses in the last eight games for the Bruins and improved their overall record to 26-20 on the year. They maintained third place in the Pac-10, with a 9-4 mark. WSU fell to 16-27 on the year and 4-12 in the Pac-10.

The Cougars were able to get to Bruin ace Rob Henkel in the early innings, knocking in eight runs and eight hits in just 4.2 innings. The junior lefty, who currently ranks second in the NCAA in strikeouts, struck out five in his appearance while recording the no-decision. Reliever Kevin Jerkens scattered five hits in two innings out of the bullpen to improve his season record to 2-1.

Tyson Thompson took to the hill for the Cougs for the first time as a starter in nearly a month. The sophomore allowed just six hits, but gave up seven runs (five earned) in 4.2 innings. Thompson left the game with WSU up 8-7, but recorded the no-decision. Senior reliever Les McTavish made his 70th career appearance as a Cougar, but was saddled with his first loss of the year. McTavish (0-1) gave up four runs off of four hits in 0.2 innings. Hard-throwing junior Donny Davis kept the Cougs in the game late, throwing two innings of one-hit, shutout ball.

The Bruins, who have been ranked as high as second in the national polls this season, jumped to an early 2-0 lead after two innings. After a leadoff triple by Matt Pearl in the first frame, Chase Utley plated the Bruin's first run on a groundout to shortstop. Hemming put UCLA up 2-0 in the top of the second with a mammoth home run deep over the right field wall.

The Cougs battled back in the bottom of the third to knot the game at two. Senior shortstop Shawn Stevenson tripled home Evan Hecker to put WSU on the board, and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. The Bruins, however, battled back in the top of the fourth by scoring five runs to take the lead. UCLA sent 10 men to the plate, but tallied only two hits for the five-run rally. UCLA capitalized on three walks, a hit batter and a crucial error by second baseman Bookie Gates to mount their attack.

Not to be outdone, the Cougs mounted their own scoring attack in the bottom of the fourth and continued it in the fifth. A leadoff single by Gates and then consecutive walks to senior center fielder Jordan Nilsen and freshman catcher Jon Baeder loaded the bases. Henkel appeared to work out of the no-out, bases loaded jam by quickly striking out Hecker and Stevenson, but then gave up a line-drive single to WSU's leading hitter Ray Hattenburg to score two runs. Baeder scored the Cougs' third run of the inning on a delayed steal of home.

WSU finally overtook UCLA in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. Gates pushed home a run with a safety squeeze, and then with two outs, Baeder provided a clutch two-out, two-run single to give WSU the 8-7 advantage.

In their very next at-bat, the Bruins retook the lead that they would not relinquish again. UCLA combined for seven runs in the sixth and seventh frames. Hemming provided the equalizer with a run-scoring single up the middle and third baseman Randall Shelley brought home the eventual game-winning run with a sharp single to left field. In addition to Hemming's career-best game, Pearl was 3-for-4 with two RBI and center fielder Charles Merricks was 3-for-5 with three RBI.

The Cougs added two more runs in the seventh, but UCLA reliever Ryan Carter slammed the door on the Bruin victory with 2.1 perfect innings of relief out of the bullpen.

Stevenson led the Cougs at the plate with a 3-for-5 game. He belted two doubles and moved into 10th place on the all-time list at WSU with his 10th career triple. Gates was 2-for-4 and Baeder recorded his second career multi-RBI game.

The Cougars and Bruins will continue their three-game Pac-10 series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field. Washington native Josh Karp will duel against WSU senior Todd Meldahl on the mound.

UCLA   110  504  300 -  14  16  2
WSU    002  330  200 -  10  13  1
Rob Henkel, Kevin Jerkens (5), Ryan Carter (7), and Forrest Johnson.
Tyson Thompson, Les McTavish (5), Lanakila Niles (6), Donny Davis, (8), and Jon Baeder, Zach Bode (8).
W - Jerkens (2-1),L - McTavish (0-1), S - None, HR - Hemming (4).
T - 3:30,  A - 472.
UCLA Hits - Pearl 3, Utley, Atkins, Scott 2, Johnson 2, Hemming 3, Shelley, Merricks 3.
WSU Hits - Hecker, Stevenson 3, Hattenburg, Grove, Bailie 2, Falkenborg, Gates 2, Nilsen, Baeder
E - Canales (13), Henkel (1), Gates (14).
2B - Scott (16), Johnson (18), Hemming (4), Merricks (7), Stevenson 2 (8), Bailie (11).
3B - Pearl (1), Stevenson (1).