April 10, 2009
Complete Release and Box Score in PDF Format
STANFORD, Calif. - UCLA's Cody Decker hit a pair of two-run home runs, including the go-ahead shot in the seventh, as the Bruins (13-18, 6-5 Pac-10) rallied for an 8-5 victory over host Stanford (12-13, 6-5) in a Pac-10 Conference game at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. The loss snapped Stanford's winning streak at three games, and evened this conference set at a game apiece.
Decker, who entered the game tied for third in the Pac-10 with 10 home runs, upped his total to 12 on a chilly and windy evening on The Farm. He connected in the first inning off Stanford starter Jordan Pries to put UCLA up 3-0, before hitting another two-run shot in the seventh off Scott Snodgress (0-2) to give the Bruins a 6-5 lead they would not relinquish.
UCLA added a pair of unearned runs in the ninth, and survived Stanford's two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. With the Cardinal down to its last out and nobody on base, Colin Walsh walked and Joey August singled to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Bruins reliever Rob Rasmussen fanned Toby Gerhart to end the game and cap his 3.0-inning save. Despite issuing four walks, Rasmussen allowed just one hit and struck out five for his first save. UCLA starter Trevor Bauer (5-3) allowed five runs (four earned), but worked 6.0 innings to record the win.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first, Stanford scored five unanswered runs in the third through fifth innings. Brent Milleville belted his fourth home run of the season - a solo shot well over the left-center field wall - to get the Cardinal on the board. Stanford tied the game in the fourth, as four of the first five batters reached en route to a two-run inning. August, Gerhart and Kellen Kiilsgaard collected consecutive singles to open the frame, with Kiilsgaard's hit driving home a run. One out later, Jonathan Kaskow drilled an opposite-field, RBI-double down the left field line to plate Gerhart with the tying run.
Stanford took a 5-3 lead by pushing two runs across in the fifth. Jake Schlander led off with a single, moved to second on a balk, and took third as Walsh reached on a sacrifice bunt that Bauer misplayed for an error. Schlander scored on an RBI-fielder's choice off the bat of August, while a Gerhart single and another fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two outs. August then scored the Cardinal's final run of the night when Bauer uncorked a wild pitch.
UCLA crept within 5-4 in the sixth, scoring on a two-out wild pitch. Bauer set Stanford down in order in the bottom of the sixth, setting the stage for Decker's seventh-inning homer.
Despite yielding three runs before recording an out, Pries settled down nicely and pitched into the fifth for Stanford. The freshman right-hander kept UCLA off the scoreboard as the Cardinal rallied, and yielded just the three runs over a 4.2-inning effort.
Stanford and UCLA will meet in the rubber match of this three-game, Pac-10 series tomorrow afternoon. The Cardinal will turn to freshman left-hander Brett Mooneyham (2-1, 4.15) - who has pitched Stanford to a rubber game win each of the last two weekends - while UCLA will counter with junior right-hander Charles Brewer (1-3, 4.17). First pitch from Klein Field at Sunken Diamond is set for 1:00 p.m. PT.