The Bruins secured an 11-1 victory over the Wildcats in their final game of the regular season to earn a share of the Big Ten conference title. UCLA walked it off in the bottom of the seventh inning by triggering the mercy rule with a 10-run advantage over Northwestern. Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu was responsible for the RBI knock, driving a single down the right to lead the Bruins to their first conference title since 2019.
Jackie Robinson Stadium was packed despite the light rain at the start of the game, with the Bruins’ regular-season finale dedicated to the seven seniors on the team. Redshirt senior right fielder AJ Salgado had a successful senior day, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Salgado’s runs included a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning, his 12th home run of the season.
Sophomore third baseman Roman Martin hit another long ball for the Bruins in the bottom of the sixth, bringing in sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky to pick up two RBIs. Cholowsky, who has been turning heads recently as a player to watch, hit a single in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first before picking up three walks the rest of the game. Two of Cholowsky’s three walks were done intentionally, including the walk that loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh to make way for Levu’s game-winning single.
A large part of UCLA’s success Saturday was a stellar start from sophomore right-handed pitcher Landon Stump, who picked up his sixth win after pitching nearly the entire game through 6.1 innings. After giving up a solo home run to Northwestern’s sophomore shortstop Ryan Kucherak in the top of the first, Stump threw five scoreless innings to mark his best start of the season. Stump’s replacement, junior right-handed pitcher Jack O’Connor, quickly closed out the top of the seventh by getting the last out on a fielder’s choice play to catch Northwestern’s graduate student second baseman Jacob Hand at third.
Following a successful regular season, the Bruins enter as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten baseball tournament. The No. 1 seed was given to the Oregon Ducks after the Bruins’ series loss against them last month. UCLA’s first postseason game will be against No. 11 seed Illinois on May 21 at 8 a.m. at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
Roman Martin (left) shares a mid-run fist bump with assistant coach Niko Gallego (right) on his way back to home plate after launching a home run. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
Mulivai Levu looks out after unleashing a swing in the third inning. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
Mulivai Levu dives headfirst into second base, beating the tag. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
Roman Martin (#7) and Mulivai Levu (#39) celebrate with a mid-air chest bump after Martin's home run. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
UCLA erupts in celebration in the dugout after Roman Martin hits a home run. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
Dean West prepares for the dive into third base. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
AJ Salgado runs to first base with confidence after driving a hit into play. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
