| Baseball |
|---|
| Oregon — 1 |
| UCLA — 11 |
“I think the night was really about Wylan … I thought he was sharp and competitive,” said UCLA head coach John Savage on sophomore pitcher Wylan Moss following his elite outing Friday night.
No. 1 UCLA baseball (45-4, 25-0 Big Ten) faced the Oregon Ducks (35-13, 17-8 Big Ten) on Friday, May 8 at Jackie Robinson Stadium, the matchup being the first of the senior weekend series.
For the Bruins, Moss started on the mound and pitched the entire game, throwing nine strikeouts and only giving up three hits and one run. The sophomore made his second start, stepping up for the injured junior pitcher Logan Reddemann.
For the Ducks, Will Sanford got the start and pitched three hits and gave up five hits and six runs, including one home run, while throwing five strikeouts.
The Bruins got on the board early when junior centerfielder Will Gasparino hit an RBI double to right field as junior third baseman Roman Martin and junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky rounded home to give UCLA the 2-0 lead.
The Bruins would add on to their lead in the bottom of the third inning, when junior first baseman Mulivai Levu crushed a ball past the centerfield wall with Cholowsky on base, giving the Bruins the 4-0 lead. Later in the inning, freshman designated hitter Trey Gudoy grounded a ball to the shortstop, which, due to an error on first base, allowed redshirt junior right fielder Payton Brennan and Martin to take home base and give UCLA a 6-0 lead.
The Ducks responded in the fourth inning, when Drew Smith hit a sacrifice fly ball to left field, which allowed Brayden Jaksa to take home plate and put Oregon on the board, cutting the lead to five, UCLA 6 – Oregon 1.
The Bruins had a fright with Cholowsky in the fourth inning, when an Oregon error at first base allowed him to advance to third base and start his march home, before Jaksa received the ball to throw to third and get Cholowsky out. Upon diving for third base, a finger on his throwing hand is stepped on.
Regarding a health update on Cholowsky, Coach Savage said, “[Cholowsky] is a very passionate player, and I just hope that it is not too bad. Hopefully, it does not swell up and need to be drained.”
Despite the injury, Cholowsky scored on the very next play in the fourth inning, sprinting home after a wild pitch to give the Bruins a 7-1 lead. Junior catcher Cashel Dugger followed this by earning a walk, which gave UCLA an 8-1 lead through the advancement of Levu from third base.
The Bruins showcased their hitting power in the sixth inning, when Levu hit his second home run past the center field wall. This was followed by a two-run home run hit by Brennan past the right field line, with both Brennan and Martin scoring and giving UCLA the final score of UCLA 11 – Oregon 1.
The game ended after two strikeouts thrown by Moss and a fly ball caught by Brennan, following the mercy rule of college baseball and ending the matchup early.
“I feel as though I am fitting in well, and I am just going to keep competing to the best of my abilities, and I know if I can do that, then I will be victorious no matter what,” said Moss following what was his best outing in a Bruin uniform and one that may earn him the starting job come Friday nights.
The Bruins took the first game of the series and will now look to their next matchup against the Ducks on Saturday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. PT at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The matchup is an opportunity to win the series and close out their final home stretch on a positive note, gelling at just the right time before regionals.
