UCLA Rally Sinks USC

UCLA players tore out of the dugout like they had clinched a berth to the College World Series.

In reality, it was a Pacific 10 Conference game, with more left on the schedule, but a six-run ninth-inning rally against USC will create a wild celebration.

Chris Denove’s single to right field capped the comeback Sunday and the Bruins won, 13-12, at Jackie Robinson Stadium in a game both teams desperately needed to win.

By winning the rubber game of the weekend series, UCLA (25-19, 8-7) pulled into third place in the Pac-10, a game ahead of the Trojans (21-24, 7-8) and Oregon State.

“It was so big for both teams,” UCLA Coach Gary Adams said. “Before he went up, Chris came over to me and said, ‘Coach, I’m going to win it for us.’ ”

Both teams are in dire need of victories with the regular season heading into its last month. UCLA, which hasn’t been to the playoffs in four years, is trying to give the retiring Adams a final present in his 30th season. USC is trying to avoid consecutive seasons without a postseason berth since 1986.

The Bruins erased deficits of 9-4 and 12-7 by scoring nine runs in the last two innings. In the ninth, UCLA drew four walks and had five hits against three relievers.

Brandon Averill singled in a run and Brett McMillan had a sacrifice fly before pinch-hitter Anthony Norman cut the lead to 12-10 with a single.

Mike Svetlic singled off the glove of pitcher Jon Williams to drive in another and Ryan McCarthy had a sacrifice fly to tie the score. After a walk to Wes Whisler, Denove came up with his third hit of the game.

The comeback only highlighted the continued pitching problems for the Trojans. Other than highly touted freshman Ian Kennedy, no one else has distinguished himself on a patchwork staff hit hard by injuries, transfers and academic losses.

Brett Bannister, 8-3 with a 3.56 earned-run average as a freshman, had ligament surgery in his right elbow and has sat out the last two seasons. J.P. Howell left after his freshman year and is 10-1 with a 1.81 ERA for Texas. Matt Chico was a third-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks last year after not meeting academic standards at USC and Palomar College.

Still, USC pitching coach Dave Lawn said that’s no excuse.

“I don’t think that it’s so much us being undermanned,” Lawn said. “The guys we have are not consistently pitching their best. It’s been a battle to get some consistency.”

The loss spoiled a day in which the Trojans hit five homers in a game for the first time since June 9, 2001, against Georgia in the College World Series. Billy Hart and Jon Brewster each hit two-run shots and Michael Moon, Joey Metropolous and Baron Frost had solo home runs.

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Led by catcher Kurt Suzuki’s offensive prowess, Cal State Fullerton (28-18, 11-1) defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 9-4, and moved into first place in the Big West Conference.

Suzuki went three for three and scored two runs a day after going five for five with a home run in a 27-2 win. The junior also drove in the game-winning run in the Titans’ 5-4 victory Friday.

Fullerton took advantage of UC Santa Barbara (27-17, 5-7) sweeping a three-game series at No. 5-ranked Long Beach State (30-12, 9-3) as Nate Sutton’s home run in the top of the 10th inning gave the Gauchos a 5-4 victory.

On Friday, Santa Barbara’s Matt Wilkerson hit a grand slam against Jered Weaver in the eighth inning to erase a 4-0 deficit and the Gauchos added four in the ninth for an 8-4 win. Weaver’s record remained at 12-0 after striking out 14 in 7 2/3 innings to set school season and career marks.

In the West Coast Conference, Loyola Marymount’s Jonathan Oller broke out of a season-long slump with a grand slam and six runs batted in as the Lions defeated Pepperdine, 12-6, to win the series in a battle of division leaders.

Loyola (27-20-1, 17-7 in Coast Division) would play host to the WCC championship series against the Waves (20-24, 14-7 in West Division) if the standings remain intact.