It Ain't Over! UCLA Bruins Score Three Runs in the 9th for a Walk-Off Win Over Virginia Tech
The Bruins will play the loser of tonight's game between Cal Poly and St. Mary's tomorrow at 1 pm PT, and they will play the winner in the nitecap if they can win the early game.
After eight and a half innings, the UCLA Bruins were just three outs away from being eliminated on the second day of the 2026 NCAA Baseball tournament after being the overall number seed.
Then, the Bruin magic happened.
Mulivai Levu got the inning started by taking a 2-2 pitch and putting it over the right field wall. Roman Martin went to back-to-back to left to tie the game, 5-5. Will Gasperino beat out a grounder for an infield hit.
After Cash Dugger struck out on a bunt attempt, Dominic Cadiz came in to pinch hit for David Mysza, who had entered the game in the eighth as a pinch runner for DH Trey Gudoy. Cadiz got the ball through the left side of the infield and moved Gasparino to third.
With the winning run now just 90 feet away, the Hokies moved one of their outfielders into the infield to guard against a grounder costing them the game. It didn’t matter. Phoenix Call stepped to the plate and drove a 2-2 pitch into left field, scoring Gasparino and winning the game for the Bruins.
Earlier in the game, the Hokies got on the board first with a run in the third, but the Bruins responded with a crooked number in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Cash Dugger got things going for UCLA with a homer to right. Call doubled to right with one out and he scored when Jarrod Hocking also doubled, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
Each teams added a run in the fifth. Owen Petrich hit a two-out solo shot to tie the game, while Gasparino hit one out to right to make it 3-2, UCLA.
After the game, UCLA head coach John Savage apologized to the media for arriving at the postgame press conference late. “I had to see my cardiologist,” Savage joked. On a more serious note, Savage credited his players for being resilient. “We’ve ad several games like that,” he said. “We really don’t want to play games like that at this time of year. You’re flirting with fire.”
Savage also praised UCLA starter Michael Bennett. Bennett went 6+ innings, allowing just three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out five. While he took the mound to start the seventh, he gave up a lead-off homer to the Hokies’ Ethan Gibson which tied the game, 3-3, and that was all for Bennett. Savage went to the bullpen for Cal Randall and he held Virginia Tech scoreless for the rest of the inning.
In the eighth, Savage brought in Zach Strickland. After getting the first two batters out, he gave up a homer to Ethan Bell, giving the Hokies the lead. Then, in the ninth, Savage went to his beleaguered closer Easton Hawk, who has given up runs in three of his last four outings.
This time, Hawk gave up a leadoff double to Gibson, who scored when Hudson Lutterman singled down the right field line.
It left UCLA needing two to tie and three to win in their final at-bat. Once again, the Bruins came up big.
If today’s game was tough for the Bruins, things are about to get even tougher. Tomorrow, UCLA will play the loser of tonight’s game between Cal Poly and St. Mary’s at 1 pm PT. If the Bruins can win that game, they will move on to play the winner of tonight’s game in the nitecap at approximately 6 pm PT.
Should UCLA win both games, it will force a regional-deciding seventh game on Monday. At this point, the broadcast schedule remains to be determined.
Go Bruins!!!
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