| Baseball |
|---|
| UCLA — 9 |
| UCI — 1 |
No. 1 UCLA baseball (26-2, 12-0 Big Ten) took down UC Irvine (11-17, 3-6 Big West) in a midweek matchup at the Cicerone Field on Tuesday night powered by an early offense burst, taking another victory of 9-1.
The important midweek matchup defined UCLA’s momentum while UC Irvine aimed to protect their home field.
UCLA wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. The Bruins’ junior third baseman Roman Martin drove in a run after being hit by a pitch, followed by an RBI from junior right fielder Payton Brennan. Later, another run was added from a wild pitch, ending the first inning with a 3-0 advantage for the Bruins.
Despite the pressure from UC Irvine’s starter and lefthand pitcher Dane Grant, the Bruin pitching staff also jumped ahead early, limiting the Anteaters’ opportunities to position a comeback.
UC Irvine gained momentum in the third inning when first baseman Alonso Reyes performed an RBI single, with right fielder Frankie Carney putting them on the scoreboard 3-1.
However, the Bruins did not allow the Anteaters to extend their score any further. UCLA continued to push their lead, when an RBI groundout in the fifth inning was recorded from junior center fielder Will Gasparino, commanding UCLA’s 4-1 lead.
The Bruins sustained this momentum, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Martin was the highlight of key performances in these early scorings, and his playing rallied the Bruins in the first few innings. Additionally, UCLA’s freshman starting pitcher Angel Cervantes delivered a strong and steady performance, keeping the Anteaters’ score to just one run and building pressure throughout the entire game.
UCLA really broke the game open in the seventh inning. Highlighted by two-RBI singles from junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky bringing home a pair of runs followed by a sacrifice fly hit by junior first baseman Mulivai Levu, UCLA defined their decisive offensive surge, ending the seventh inning with a lead of 8-1.
Though UC Irvine scored during the contest, UCLA finished strong 9-1. The Bruins hope to maintain and build this momentum for the remainder of the season.
The Bruins return home to host USC at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday, April 3 at 6 p.m. PST.
