May 15, 1999
The UCLA Bruins squandered a 7-0 lead over the Stanford Cardinal Friday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium, allowing the visitors to score eight unanswered runs en rout to an 8-7 victory in ten innings. The Bruins (29-28, 12-10 Pac-10) drop just the sixth game in their last twenty overall, and third Pac-10 game in the last 14. The loss puts them in a tie with Arizona, who defeated Arizona State on Sunday. The loss was just the second in 10 Pac-10 home games for UCLA. Meanwhile, the Cardinal (39-12, 18-4 Pac-10) clinched at least a tie for first place in the Pac-10 with its come-from-behind victory.
The Bruins came out roaring in front of their biggest Friday night crowd of the season, with seven runs (all earned) against Stanford ace Jason Young in the first four innings. They tagged the three-time "Pac-10 Player of the Week" award-winner for 12 hits and just two strikeouts over five innings. Sophomore LF Bill Scott showed off his opposite field power as he launched his team-high 23rd homer of the season, a three-run shot to right that put the Bruins up 7-0 over Young and the Cardinal.
Meanwhile, sophomore LHP Ryan Carter, a game-time decision for the UCLA coaching staff, pitched the best game of his career. He took a one-hitter into the seventh against the #6 team in the nation, before being struck on the left cheekbone by 1B John Gall's sharp comebacker. After several moments of anxiety, Carter got up and continued to pitch, recording two outs before handing the duties over to sophomore RHP Chad Cislak with the base loaded.
The Cardinal scored two in the eighth and four in the ninth off Cislak to tie the game up at seven. The Cardinal then added one in the top of tenth on an RBI single by Gall, handing the Bruins an extremely tough 8-7 extra-inning loss. Cislak took the loss, falling to 5-3 on the season, while LHP Tony Cogan received the win, improving to 5-3. UCLA is now 23-3 when leading after seven.
The rematch will be tomorrow at 1:00pm at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Freshman RHP Josh Karp (7-3, 4.26) will take the hill for UCLA, while Stanford will counter with RHP Justin Wayne (7-1, 5.46). If you can't be there to cheer the Bruins on in their quest for the postseason, the game will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net and locally by Fox Sports West 2. Barry Thompkins and Jerry Kindall will have the live call from Jackie Robinson.