UCLA Moves Ahead in CWS, Defeats NC State

It was a Tuesday night winners bracket game as the UCLA Bruins faced the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Saying it was a slow paced game would be an understatement. The game seemed to go on forever, with the first scoring coming in the bottom of the third by NC State. Trea Turner singled to left scoring Bryan Adametz, in a play that would have scored two but Armstrong was tagged out at home. The Wolfpack have a 1-0 lead.

UCLA matched that score in the top of the fifth, after a single to center by Kevin Kramer brings Cody Regis home. Tie ball game at 1. However, the Bruins weren’t done there. After a wild pitch by Grant Sasser, Brenton Allen scored and UCLA takes the lead, 2-1.

It was a quiet close game from then on. NC State threatened in the bottom of the eighth, and in return Tuig was taken out and replaced with closer David Berg. Runners were stranded on second and first when Berg was able to get out of the inning thanks to along fly ball to left and strikeout.

It was all up to NC State in the bottom of the ninth. A groundout, single, strikeout, and another strikeout ends the game for the Bruins. UCLA wins, 2-1.

UCLA’s starting pitcher Nick Tuig was commanding; he went seven innings, allowed one four hits, one earned run, no walks and recorded six strikeouts. It was up to closer Berg to take over from there. Berg went two innings, allowed one hit, and three strikeouts.

NC State’s starting pitching wasn’t as efficient. Starter Logan Jernigan could only go 4.1 innings, allowed three hits and two earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Grant Sasser came in for relief and went 2.2 innings, had one hit, no earned runs, two walks and one strikeout.