March 8, 1998

LOS ANGELES - Freshman Jeff Phelps hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to give Arizona State its first lead of the game, and the Sun Devils (15-6, 5-3) would not trail again as they defeated the Bruins (9-13, 4-7), 9-3 on Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA had won on Friday night, 6-5 and Arizona State had won on Saturday, 14-6.

It was a pitching duel for five innings between senior righthander Richie Leon of Arizona State and freshman righthander Jon Brandt of UCLA. UCLA pushed across a run in the first inning on an RBI-single by senior Cassidy Olson. Arizona State tied the game in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by junior Andrew Beinbrink. UCLA took the lead in the fifth inning on an RBI-double by senior Eric Byrnes.

Leon retired 10 batters in a row from the second inning until one out in the fifth inning when junior Jack Santora doubled. After Leon allowed a two-out walk to junior Eric Valent, he was removed from the game preventing him from earning the win. Senior righthander Aaron Kramer retired UCLA's leading hitter, freshman Garrett Atkins on a groundout with two outs and two runners on. Kramer ended up pitching 2.1 scoreless innings and earned the victory to improve to 2-1.

Brandt allowed just one run through five innings. In the sixth inning, he hit senior Rudy Arguelles. Then sophomore Willie Bloomquist singled. After Brandt struck out Beinbrink, Phelps hit a three-run home run over the left field wall. Brandt suffered the loss, dropping his record to 1-3. All three starting pitchers for UCLA this weekend were true freshman. The first non-freshman pitcher to appear in the series was senior Matt Klein who pitched the final 0.2 innings on Sunday.

Arizona State opened up the game with four runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by Beinbrink's three-run double.

UCLA plays at Loyola Marymount on Tuesday and then plays at Arizona over the weekend. Arizona State hosts Oklahoma on Tuesday and Wednesday and then plays at USC over the weekend.

  
ASU:         000 103 104     9   10  0
UCLA         100 010 001     3    9  1

ASU: Leon, Kramer (5), Crumpton (8) and Jones
UCLA: Brandt, Roe (6), Klein (9) and Green
Winning Pitcher: Aaron Kramer (2-1)   
Losing Pitcher: Jon Brandt (1-3)   
Save: Chuck Crumpton (3)
2B: ASU: Beinbrink (9); UCLA: Byrnes, 2 (8), Hymes (1), Santora (4)
HR: ASU: Phelps (1). a three-run shot in the sixth inning

Records: Arizona State (15-6, 5-3), UCLA (9-13, 4-7)