UCLA Held to Two Hits in Loss

UCLA was held to a season-low two hits and lost to Louisiana State, 8-2, Friday night before 7,624 at Alex Box Stadium in the first game of a best-of-three super-regional.

One of the two hits was a two-run home run by Forrest Johnson in the eighth inning.

UCLA (38-25) lost for only the third time in its last 13 games.

Brian Tallet pitched 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball and catcher Brad Cresse drove in three runs with his 30th homer for LSU (47-17). The Tigers are now one win away from their 11th trip to the College World Series in 15 years.

“I’ve got to tip my hat to their team and their pitcher,” UCLA Coach Gary Adams said. “Tallet did a great job. It’s not very often that a team no-hits us like he did, but he was pitching well. I give him a lot of credit. He battled out there. He was tremendous.”

UCLA starter Rob Henkel (6-4) got off to a rocky start, allowing a lead-off double in the first inning to LSU shortstop Ryan Theriot, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by Cresse. Henkel then retired the next four batters, two via strikeout, before errors by UCLA shortstop Josh Canales and third baseman Randall Shelley in the third inning set up two unearned runs.

Game 2 today is at 1 p.m. PDT, with UCLA’s John Karp facing LSU’s Hunter Gomez.