UCLA (22-5, 10-2) has tied Iowa at the top of the Big Ten standings with their fourth consecutive conference series win against Purdue (20-7, 3-6). The series victory marks the best 27-game start for the team since 2010. With Sunday’s big 16-3 win, the Bruins offense totaled a hefty 37 runs throughout the three-game series. UCLA won 8-5 in Game 1 on Friday and 13-12 in Game 2 on Saturday. Over the weekend, the Bruins collectively hit 0.385, with 15 hits going for extra-bases and six home runs.
Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu had one of the most productive bats all weekend, slashing .615/.706/.923, with two consecutive four-hit games. Redshirt senior AJ Salgado was another hot bat of the weekend with a total of eight hits. Salgado put on a notable performance on Friday, with a home run and three RBIs. The other two dingers from Friday’s three-homer game came from the bats of sophomore outfielder Dean West and sophomore infielder Roman Martin. Friday was only the second time the Bruins have hit three homers in a single game this season.
Martin’s three-run homer was the turning point of the game, giving UCLA the lead in the top of the fifth after being down by two. The Bruins would hold on to their lead after singles by West in the sixth and Salgado in the eighth drove in three more runs. Junior RHP Cody Delvecchio picked up his first win of the season on Friday after striking out six batters in five innings pitched. Sophomore closer Justin Lee was accredited his fourth save of the season, stranding two Boilermakers on base to clinch the win.
Saturday’s game promised action right from the start, with UCLA and Purdue tied at five runs apiece going into the fourth inning. The Bruins would eventually break away from the Boilermakers, going into the bottom of the ninth inning with a fairly comfortable 13-9 lead. Lee was given the ball to close out the game, but ended up being responsible for two runs after two hit by pitch and two singles helped Purdue cut the lead in half. Junior RHP Jack O’Connor replaced Lee, allowing only one more additional run to record the save and allow UCLA to clinch a nail-biting victory.
After barely scratching by with the win on Saturday, the Bruins were entirely dominant come the series finale on Sunday, scoring a grand total of 16 runs and limiting Purdue to a mere three. Levu and redshirt sophomore outfielder Payton Brennan each mashed a two-run homer each, Levu responsible for five RBIs and Brennan three. West, Salgado and sophomore infielder Roch Cholowsky all had three-hit games on Sunday, with Salgado going 3-for-4. The Bruins pitching staff had their own successful performance, with sophomore starting pitcher Landon Stump pitching five innings with three strikeouts and only two earned runs on seven hits. The only other run that was given up was in the bottom of the eighth by freshman RHP Wylan Moss, who closed out UCLA’s mercy-rule victory.
The Bruins look to extend their winning streak as they host Pepperdine at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday, April 1 at 6 p.m.
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Featured Image Photographed by Michael Gallagher/Daily Bruin.
