UCLA Bruins Are Headed to Omaha After 7-0 Win Over UTSA
The Bruin pitching staff combined to shut out the Roadrunners over the last 16 innings.
The Bruins are going to Omaha!
UCLA defeated the UTSA Roadrunners this afternoon, 7-0, to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 2013.
The Bruins scored their first run in the top of the fourth. Following a two-out double by Payton Brennan, Toussaint Bythewood singled to right scoring Brennan. While that would turn out to be the game-winning hit, UCLA wasn’t done yet.
Phoenix Call led off the fifth with a drag bunt down the first base line which was fielded by Roadrunner first baseman Lorenzo Morresi. Morresi wasn’t able to tag Call as he ran past him and it was too late to throw him out at first. Dean West followed with another bunt, this one down the third base side. West was out at first, but Call was now on second. A long single by Roch Cholowsky to right-center scored Call, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead.
It would stay that way until the eighth when the Bruins would put a crooked number up on the scoreboard.
PJ Salgado lined a shot at third baseman Norris McClure, who had the ball go off his glove and into short left field and Salgado was in with a leadoff double. Brennan hit a comebacker to UTSA’s Braylon Owens which ricocheted towards first base and into foul territory. It was fielded there by Morresi who made an errant throw towards Owens at first which allowed Salgado to score. Brennan eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Call and UCLA led 4-0 after eight.
There was a bit of a delay in the middle of the eighth because home plate umpire Eric Goshay took a pitch off the chin and was replaced behind the plate by second base ump Travis Carlson.
It didn’t matter. The result in the bottom of the inning was the same—another zero for the Roadrunners.
In the top of the ninth, the Bruins would add another crooked number.
With one out, Mulivai Levu singled to right and moved up on a passed ball. Roman Martin was hit by a pitch and Salgado walked to load the bases. A single by Brennan scored both Levu and Martin. A wild pitch moved Salgado to third and Brennan then stole second. Bythewood hit one down the first base line that was fielded by UTSA reliever Gunnar Brown who flipped it over to first for the second out but Brennan scored and UCLA took a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Easton Hawk threw another scoreless ninth to close it out and send the Bruins to Omaha.
UCLA starter Landon Stump gave up four hits and struck out five over four scoreless innings and Chris Grothues earned the win after 2 2/3 scoreless innings. In the final five innings, the Bruin bullpen allowed just one baserunner and that didn’t happen until Hawk walked a batter with two outs in the ninth.
UCLA will open the College World Series on Friday against the winner of tomorrow’s deciding game between Duke and Murray State.
Go Bruins!!! Bring home NC# 125!!!
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I love that we clinched in our road greys. Best looking uniform in all of sports.
“Crooked number”. Absolutely love it Joe. Better than “flash in the pan”. Keep it going Bruins.