UCLA Steals Final Act in Prior-Karp Show

Most of the dozens of major league scouts who came to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night were long gone by the time UCLA’s Adam Berry hit a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Bruins a 4-3 nonconference victory over USC.

The scouts, however, got the show they expected as USC’s Mark Prior and UCLA’s Josh Karp, the nation’s two top draft-eligible pitching prospects, looked as good as their reputations--though neither figured in the decision.

Prior, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound junior right-hander from Bonita, Calif., gave up one run, two hits and struck out 12 in seven innings for the Trojans (6-2), who are ranked second by Baseball America.

Karp, a 6-5, 195-pound junior right-hander from Bothell, Wash., gave up three runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

“They lived up to their billing,” UCLA Coach Gary Adams said.

Prior, who threw 99 pitches and lowered his earned-run average to 1.33, has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in three consecutive starts. He has struck out 34 and walked only three in 20 1/3 innings this season.

In three career appearances against UCLA, Prior has 33 strikeouts and six walks in 21 2/3 innings.

“I felt like I had a good curveball,” Prior said. “My fastball was not as overpowering as it has been.”

Karp, who also threw 99 pitches, said he was able to stay calm while matching up against Prior--a teammate the last two summers for the U.S. national team.

“There’s room to build on each outing,” Karp said. “And I think I’m going in the right direction.”

The same could be said of UCLA (8-2). The Bruins have won eight games in a row since losing to UC Riverside and Hawaii. Unlike last year, when UCLA led the nation with 117 homers, this season’s team has relied on grit, clutch hitting and solid relief pitching.

UCLA trailed, 3-1, going into the bottom of the ninth when designated hitter Brian Baron led off with a single against reliever Chad Clark and Randall Shelley walked.

Left-hander Jordan Olson replaced Clark and got Eric Reece to ground out to first, but the runners advanced.

Brian Bannister (1-2) relieved Olson to face the right handed-hitting Berry, who had struck out twice and flied to center.

The count was 2-and-2 when Berry pounded a hanging curveball over the left-field fence for his second homer of the season.

“I was just trying to hit a single up the middle,” Berry said.