Maryland
UCLA
Terps Fall To #14 UCLA, 6-5
2/18/2012 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2012
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LOS ANGELES - Tim Kiene blasted a three-run homer in the fifth inning to help Maryland erase a 5-1 deficit, but No. 14 UCLA countered with a run in the bottom half and held the Terps scoreless the rest of the way in a 6-5 victory Saturday afternoon.
UCLA (1-1) starting pitcher Nick Vander Tuig (1-0) was credited with the win after allowing five runs in five-plus innings. The sophomore, who was making his first career start, retired the side in order in the first, second and fourth before Maryland (1-1) broke through for a big fifth inning.
The Terps had fallen behind early, with UCLA scoring a pair of runs in the first and third innings for a 4-1 advantage. Maryland starter David Carroll, who didn't factor into the decision, exited after the third.
Trailing 5-1 in the fifth, Jordan Hagel and K.J. Hockaday led off the inning with consecutive singles and Charlie White drew a walk to load the bases.
Alfredo Rodriguez, who had put Maryland on the board with a sacrifice fly RBI in the third, knocked in his second run of the game with another sac fly. That brought up Kiene with runners on first and second, and the sophomore drilled the first pitch he saw well over the right-center field wall, scoring Hockaday and White to tie the game.
UCLA, however, came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Heineman doubled and Trevor Brown reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners. Then, on a 2-2 count, Maryland reliever Charlie Haslup (0-1) threw a wild pitch that got past catcher Jack Cleary and allowed Heineman to score the go-ahead run.
Both bullpens shut down the opposing offenses from there on out. Korey Wacker was excellent for Maryland, entering a one-out, bases loaded jam in the sixth and escaping the inning unscathed. The senior lefty struck out three and allowed just one base runner in 2 2/3 innings, keeping the Terps within a run.
But UCLA's pen was equally effective - Ryan Deeter, Grant Watson and Scott Griggs didn't allow a hit in the final three innings. Griggs, the losing pitcher Friday night, pitched a perfect ninth to earn the save (1).
Maryland's best chance to tie it came in the seventh, when White drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rodriguez. With two outs, Michael Montville hit a hard liner to right field, but UCLA's Jeff Gelalich made a diving catch to end the inning.
UCLA came out of the gates hot, opening the game with three straight singles. Bruins left fielder Cody Keefer singled through the right side to drive in Beau Amaral, and Cody Regis followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 in the first.
Maryland cut the lead in half in the top of the third after Hockaday singled to left field and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez.
But the Bruins struck back in the bottom of the third, with Regis getting a RBI single up the middle and Heineman making it 4-1 with a RBI groundout to shortstop.
Maryland will look to get a series victory in the rubber game Sunday. Maryland's RHP Brett Harman will make his first start since 2010 and face RHP Zack Weiss (5-3, 2.86). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern.
