UCLA: O FOR OMAHA; LOUSY DEFENSE LEADS TO SECOND COLLEGE WORLD SERIES DEFEAT : MISS ST. 7, UCLA 5.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

This was worth a 28-year wait?

UCLA hadn't been to the College World Series since 1969, but some might argue the Bruins still haven't played at Rosenblatt Stadium, considering the folly of their two-game stay.

The Bruins were unceremoniously bounced from the tournament Monday night after losing to Mississippi State 7-5 before 20,016.

Just as in its opening loss to Miami, UCLA threw this game away -literally.

Three errors and a few other defensive lapses that were generously scored hits propelled a thankful Mississippi State offense that rarely seemed capable of generating its own rallies.

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the critical seventh inning, but only one was earned, as the Bruins' defensive ineptitude once again turned out to be their Achilles' heel.

This hardly came as a surprise. UCLA committed 123 errors entering the World Series, worst in the Pacific-10 Southern Division.

It committed six more errors in two games here, twice as many as any of the other seven teams that came to Omaha.

``In defense of our defense, we're very inexperienced in the infield in certain positions,'' UCLA coach Gary Adams said. ``We've got everybody playing out of position. We just didn't play catch on simple bunts.''

That was embarrassingly apparent in the seventh inning.

UCLA led 4-3, before Mississippi State figured out the easiest way to score runs was to simply keep the ball in play and wait for the disaster.

Bulldogs third baseman Adam Piatt led off with a walk and Barry Patton attempted to sacrifice him to second.

Patton's bunt was fielded by first baseman Brett Nista, who double-pumped before throwing wildly past first.

That put runners at first and third. Piatt scored on an infield single to tie the game 4-4. Two batters later, Brooks Bryan drove in a run when his grounder glanced off pitcher Rob Henkel's glove.

Brad Freeman followed with a grounder to shortstop Troy Glaus, who flipped to second base for the force out, but Nick Theodorou's throw to first pulled Nista off the base. That miscue gave the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead, but the defense wasn't ready to rest.

Rusty Thoms hit a routine grounder to Glaus, who slipped and fell before he could throw to first. That brought in another run and it was 7-4.

Adams tried to explain the defensive problems as a case of having too many players out of position.

``Troy (Glaus) is really a third baseman, but he's our best shortstop. Our third baseman (Jack Santora) is really a second baseman. Our second baseman (Theodorou) has never played second base before this season.

``Our first baseman (Nista) has never played first base until four or five games ago. He's an outfielder.''

Although UCLA was able to mask these deficiencies with its bash-ball offense during the regular season, the high quality of the teams in the World Series quickly exposed this weakness.

``Fundamentally, we didn't do what it takes to win a national championship,'' right fielder Eric Byrnes said. ``I'm not blaming the coaches. We took this upon ourselves. We didn't execute.''

Neither did the offense, really. UCLA (45-21-1) had 10 hits against Mississippi State (47-20) but only two home runs in the series, both by Glaus.

``The World Series just happened to catch us on two days we didn't hit,'' Byrnes said.

After Byrnes singled in a run in the top of the seventh to give the Bruins their 4-3 lead, UCLA seemed poised to break the game open after loading the bases with one out.

But Eric Valent struck out and Peter Zamora grounded out.

``We had the right guys up with men on base,'' Adams said. ``It just didn't happen.''

Zamora, who started the game, became the second UCLA pitcher to give a rubber-armed effort. He threw 112 pitches in 5-2/3 innings and gave up three runs, two earned.

Jim Parque, who started Saturday's game, threw 106 in five innings.

``We're disappointed with the play we displayed here,'' Glaus said. ``I'm not going to lie to you. I'm disappointed that we didn't win the national championship.''

BY THE NUMBERS

3: Earned runs UCLA allowed Monday.

6: UCLA errors in College World Series.

23: Walks issued by UCLA in CWS.

11: Walks issued by next-highest team, Rice.

2: Home runs UCLA hit in CWS.

140: Home runs UCLA hit before CWS.

0-4: UCLA's all-time record in World Series.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--color) UCLA's Eric Byrnes is devastated after the Bruins lost to Mississippi State.

(2) UCLA second baseman Nick Theodorou commits the first of three UCLA errors that helped Mississippi State to victory.

Associated Press

Box: BY THE NUMBERS (see text)