| Baseball |
|---|
| Minnesota — 2 |
| UCLA — 4 |
After its historic 27-game winning streak came to an end earlier in the week, the Bruins were looking to refocus on Jackie Robinson Weekend.
With all players wearing No. 42 in his honor, No. 1 UCLA baseball (34–3, 19–0 Big Ten) responded with a 4–2 victory over Minnesota (22-15, 5-11 Big Ten) on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium, using a four-run fifth inning and a strong outing from the pitching staff to get back in the win column.
Despite the setback against UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, head coach John Savage maintained perspective on the timing of the loss.
“If you lose a streak, you want to lose it out of conference,” Savage said after the loss. “We’re 18-0 in the league, and now we can learn from this and get back to it this weekend.”
Savage had acknowledged glimpses of complacency throughout the Bruins’ historic run, something that may have contributed to Tuesday night’s result. Friday’s contest presented an opportunity to reset.
The game began as a pitcher’s duel, with neither side generating offense through the first three innings.
A standout defensive play from junior center fielder Will Gasparino highlighted the early action. He tracked down a deep fly ball near the wall in the second inning.
Minnesota broke through in the fourth inning when Charlie Sutherland delivered a two-RBI triple to give the Gophers a 2–0 lead despite limited offensive production.
UCLA’s offense responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth.
After managing just one hit through the first four innings, the Bruins strung together disciplined at-bats to generate momentum. Redshirt junior right outfielder Payton Brennan reached base to start the rally before Gasparino recorded one of UCLA’s four hits on the night. Junior catcher Cashel Dugger delivered a run-scoring double to cut the deficit, and freshman second baseman Aiden Aguayo followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 2–2.
With pressure mounting, UCLA continued to capitalize on situational opportunities. Junior left fielder Dean West and junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky each lifted sacrifice flies to complete the four-run inning, flipping a two-run deficit into a 4–2 lead.
Although the Bruins recorded just four hits as a team, timely execution proved decisive in a game defined more by pitching and defense than offensive volume.
Junior pitcher Logan Reddemann improved to 8–0 on the season, throwing 98 pitches and allowing two runs on three hits across six innings while striking out five.
Minnesota finished with five hits but was unable to generate additional scoring chances after its fourth-inning surge, as UCLA’s pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts to close it out.
With the win, UCLA improved to 34–3 overall and 19–0 in Big Ten play, continuing its dominant conference run while demonstrating an ability to respond following adversity.
The Bruins will continue their weekend series against Minnesota on Saturday, April 18, 2:00 p.m. PST at home, as they look to build momentum through the remainder of conference play.
