UCLA falls to Fullerton, 4-3

They had their opportunities.
Oh boy, were there opportunities.
Down by three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to Cal State Fullerton in the first game of the NCAA baseball playoff Los Angeles Super Regional, the UCLA baseball team loaded the bases, finally finding some offensive rhythm for the first time since the first inning.
But Steve Rodriguez and Beau Amaral both struck out, and Blair Dunlap smoked a screamer high above star Titan shortstop Christian Colon's head.
Or so the Bruins thought.
Colon jumped and didn't stop jumping, leaping high off the ground to snag the ball and end the UCLA threat.
Or so the Titans thought.
UCLA would score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning - Tyler Rahmatulla scoring after opening with a double, Nike Gallego knocking in pinch hitter Justin Uribe after beating out a single - and set the stage for an intense finish.
But the Bruins stranded the tying run on third base, falling to Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
"It's a championship game, and I thought you saw two teams go after each other really good," UCLA coach John Savage said. "We've bounced back all season, played a ton of three-game series. We're here for a reason - we feel very confident we can come back and get back to even in this series."
They'll need to put the ball in play more.
Titans starting pitcher Noe Ramirez struck out 13 Bruins in seven innings, allowing just six hits and one run. Despite throwing 118 pitches, Ramirez walked only two.
"He's as good as there is out there," Savage said. "Guy like that can get punched early and sorta settle down. We left too many guys on base. We had plenty of opportunities. We did have an opportunity in the seventh, but we couldn't get the contact with the bases loaded."
Colon didn't need the bases loaded.
After the Titans scored three runs in the four inning, two coming home on a two-RBI single by Nick Ramirez, Colon smacked what would be the deciding run on a solo homer in the fifth.
"That was a changeup, up and in," Colon said. "I' take pride in my defense, so I think that was a really big play right there, the line drive I caught. I like that one better."
But in the ninth, the Bruins were still in it.
After Beau Amaral walked and Blair Dunlap singled, Amaral advanced to third on a dropped pitch by Cal State Fullerton catcher Billy Marcoe. Amaral was caught in a pickle, though, Rahmatulla struck out and pinch-hitter Chris Giovinazzo grounded to shortstop to end the game.
"My heart was pumping through my jacket I think," Serrano said. "I'll tell you the truth, exactly what I told my coaches; I looked up to the sky, I lost my mom eight years ago, and I said I need your help right now. She's like my angel over my shoulder. I owe a lot of success to my mom. She got me through that, along with Nick, Chris, and the rest of the Titans."