UCLA’s Tim Murphy threw a complete-game shutout to help #3 ranked UCLA hold off a valiant effort from Bethune-Cookman in baseball on Saturday night by a count of 3-0 at the Urban Youth Sports Academy in Compton, Calif. The event was a part of the First Annual Urban Invitational Tournament hosted by Major League Baseball.
A true pitcher’s duel between UCLA (4-1) starter Tim Murphy and Bethune-Cookman’s Joseph Gautier went for just over six innings as a stalemate on the board ensued through fantastic pitching and defense. But it would be the nation’s third-ranked team to strike first on the board?and that would be enough in the end.
Designated hitter Cody Decker took advantage of one bad pitch from B-CU’s Gautier?throwing a gem of a game until that point, and took a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for a 1-0 Bruins advantage in the top of the seventh frame.
B-CU had a chance to answer back in the bottom-half of the eighth inning when they put runners on the corner and put pressure on Murphy. But as he had done all night, Murphy got out of a jam when a Drew Clark line-out turned into a double play as the hit-and-run was employed by the ?Cats.
In the top-half of the ninth inning, the Bruins got an insurance run on the board from yet another B-CU miscue.
With relief pitchers Joey Munoz and Darrin Young getting some much-needed playing time out of the bullpen, the pressure was put on. After Munoz hit a batter and allowed a single, fellow pitcher Young was called for a balk to put runners at second and third with one out.
The Bruins collected the game’s final score when ? grounded out to Aaron Patterson at third base, and he elected to get the out at first instead of throwing home late.
The ?Cats had one last chance in the home-half of the ninth when they looked to finally break the scoring open on Murphy. Junior centerfielder Jos? Ortiz collected a double to get things going, but the rest of the bats were held in check to keep the Bruins on top in the end and escape a possible upset by the Wildcats from Daytona Beach.
B-CU’s Gautier took the loss to move to 0-1 on the year courtesy just one (1) bad fastball left high for the solo homerun from Decker. The win was collected in shutout fashion for Murphy as he upped his record to 2-0 on the season. He was touched seven times with nine strikeouts and zero (0) walks. Gautier, meanwhile, allowed just two hits and walked zero (0) as well with six strikeouts.
At the plate, the Bruins were led by left fielder Brady Dolan with two hits in four at-bats. As for the Maroon and Gold, they were led by third baseman Emmanuel Castro with a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
Bethune-Cookman will face-off against Southern (La.) University tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST in the final game of the inaugural Urban Invitational. The action will take place back at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif.