Passing Parade of Pitching Talent : ‘Revolving Door’ Policy Favors UCLA Over Toros, 9-5

Cal State Dominguez Hills’ 9-5 loss to UCLA on Wednesday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium looked more like a fashion show than a baseball game.

The Bruins used seven pitchers and emptied almost their entire bench while Dominguez Hills displayed a seldom used line of hurlers that included shortstop Rick Davis.

Both squads were heading into important conference series this weekend and had intended to give several players some work. The meeting between the Division I Bruins and Division II Toros, afforded the clubs a chance to experiment without hurting their respective conference records.

Still, Dominguez Hills Coach Andy Lopez regretted scheduling the game in April. The Toros usually play Division I teams before the start of California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play. Wednesday’s game came at an especially bad time because Dominguez Hills, which has lost 10 players to injuries since the season began, had five games scheduled in five days since Tuesday--four against CCAA teams--and would have welcomed a day off.

“If I’d have known that we’d lose 10 players,” Lopez said, “I would never have scheduled (a nonconference game on) this day. It wasn’t a good move.”

It looked as if UCLA would feel the same way midway through the seventh inning.

After manufacturing two runs in the first and one in the third on six hits and three walks, the Bruins took a 5-1 lead in the fifth on sophomore Bob Allen’s two-run smash over the 390-foot sign in center field and made it 6-1 in the sixth.

But Dominguez Hills almost went ahead an inning later after scoring three times in the sixth.

Second baseman Joe Pardo singled and stole second to open Dominguez Hills’ seventh. Right fielder Vic Fresca walked and Reuben Jauregui, the CCAA’s leading hitter at .402, followed with another single. But third base coach Eric Mihkelson, usually the first base coach, held Pardo at third because the heart of the order was about to bat.

The move appeared harmless when Zack Reeder, the Bruins’ fifth pitcher of the day, walked third baseman Jeff Sears to score Pardo and make it 6-5. The bases-loaded no-out situation obviously favored Dominguez Hills.

Toros first baseman Mike McCarthy then flied to left, offering Fresca a chance to tag and score, but Mihkelson again held the runner.

“You want to keep the momentum going in that situation,” Mihkelson said later. “You want to keep the bases loaded.”

Lenny Hokanson quickly cleared the bases when he hit into a double play.

“I was comfortable with (Mihkelson’s) decision,” Lopez said. “We work on that situation a lot in practice, and the double play was most important. If Hokanson drives the ball in the game, (Mihkelson’s decision) looks great.”

UCLA nullified any momentum the Toros might have had when center fielder Charlie Fiacco capped a three-run eighth and put the game out of reach with a two-run blast, his 12th homer of the season.

Toro starter Kevin Smith (0-1) took the loss as Dominguez Hills (3-10 in the CCAA) dropped to 12-20 overall. UCLA (5-9 in the Pac-10) improved to 20-16. Freshman Mike Fyhrie (1-2) earned the victory after replacing starter Chris Spears, who apparently injured his back on a ball hit back at him in the third inning.