| Baseball |
|---|
| UCLA — 8 |
| LMU — 4 |
No. 1 UCLA baseball team (44-4, 24-0 Big Ten) entered Tuesday’s meet as one of the most dominant teams in the country, recently clinching the Big Ten Baseball Championship and defeating Loyola Marymount University, or LMU, (12-38, 3-18 West Coast Conference) with a score of 8-4.
The Bruins started off strong in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on control issues from the Lions right hand pitcher Max Schnieder, which led to junior left fielder Dean West scoring on a wild pitch.
From there, UCLA’s redshirt junior right fielder Peyton Brennan delivered a sacrifice fly plating another run from junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky. Later, freshman designated hitter Trey Gudoy followed with an RBI single bringing home junior third baseman Roman Martin, initiating their lead 3-0.
The Bruins freshman right hand pitcher Angel Cervantes backed the early offense on the mound with a clean opening frame, limiting the Lions opportunities in the bottom of the first. Cervantes noted the significance of attacking early, emphasizing his “mindset today was just trying to get that first pitch strike and then go pitch by pitch from there.”
UCLA added to their score in the second inning, with Martin powering an RBI double, bringing home sophomore catcher Kasen Khansarinia and extending their lead 4-0.
The bottom of the second inning was highlighted by LMU’s Zach Wadas putting the Lions on the board 4-1 after scoring on a wild pitch.
The Bruins responded in the third inning, taking advantage of the Lions lack of command and defensive errors. UCLA plated three more runs from a hit by pitch and wild pitches, defined by a fielder’s choice RBI from West. Freshman first baseman Dominic Cadiz, junior second baseman
Phoenix Call and Gudoy all scored unearned. The third inning ended with the Bruins lead of 7-1.
Cervantes pointed out that these extra opportunities are “huge — we don’t like to give up freebies, so whenever a team gives us freebies we like to take advantage. I feel like that gives us momentum too, so it’s really good for the team”.
UCLA extended their lead 8-1 in the fifth inning when Khansarinia delivered a sacrifice fly, bringing home Call.
Although LMU was struggling on the mound and cycling through pitchers to find stability, the Lion’s most significant push of the night was highlighted in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jordan Ortiz hit a three run home run, cutting the deficit to 8-4.
However, the Bruins held the Lions scoreless over the final four innings.
“Get ahead, stay ahead,” Cervantes said — which maps not only exactly what UCLA executed during this game, but why they remain the nation’s top ranked team. By setting the tone early and maintaining control throughout the rest of the game, the Bruins secured the final score of 8-4.
UCLA returns to the Jackie Robinson Stadium to host Oregon Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m.
