UCLA Baseball A Win Away from CWS After Beating UTSA, 5-2
The Bruins are looking for their first CWS appearance since 2013.
In yesterday’s Super Regional series opener, the Bruins were unable to score like they did last weekend, but they managed to win the game anyway by a score of 5-2.
As a result, UCLA now comes into today’s game needing a win to advance to the College World Series for the first time since the Bruins won the national championship in 2013.
First pitch for today’s game is set for 12 Noon PT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Last Time Out
Unlike last weekend when the Bruins were strong coming out of the gate, the Roadrunners had the early edge in this one. UTSA centerfield Mason Lytle led off the game and took the second pitch from Michael Barnett and sent it over the wall in left to give the Roadrunners a quick 1-0 lead.
The second inning saw UTSA head coach Pat Hallmark get aggressive. With one out, Caden Miller singled up the middle and Andrew Stucky was hit by a pitch. Ty Hodge followed with a single to right, but Stucky got caught in a run down between second and third, leaving UTSA with runners on the corners and two outs. With a 2-2 count to Jordan Ballin, Hallmark had Miller break from home when Bruin catcher Cashel Dugger threw the ball back to Barnett. While Barnett immediately threw home, it was too late and the Roadrunners now led 2-0.
UCLA was able to tie the game up in the third. Dean West singled with one out and Roch Cholowsky followed with a single to right center that was deep enough to get West to third. Mulivai Levu took a 1-2 pitch and drilled it down the right field line to score West and send Cholowsky to third. Roman Martin hit a hard grounder to third and Cholowsky headed home immediately, leaving Norris McClure with no other play but at first and tying the game, 2-2, after three.
The fourth inning saw Payton Brennan lead off with a single up the middle. With one out, Dugger hit a chopper down the third base line that died in no man’s land which saw UTSA pitcher Zach Royse and Stucky unable to make a play as they hoped it would roll foul, but it didn’t, giving the Bruins a pair of runners. Phoenix Call hit a first-pitch blooper to center to load the bases. That brought up West who flew out to left which was deep enough to score Brennan and give UCLA the lead, 3-2.
It would stay that way until the bottom of the eighth.
Call led off the eighth for UCLA with a walk and West was hit by a pitch. Cholowsky was next and he flew out to center. Call tagged and moved over to third on the play. With two outs, Roman Martin delivered some of the magic we saw from him last weekend when he tripled to right-center just over the outstretched arm of right fielder James Taussig. Call and West both scored easily and the Bruins had a few more insurance runs to head into the the ninth with a 5-2 lead.
For the ninth, John Savage turned to Easton Hawk. After getting Lorenzo Morresi to fly out, Hawk struck out the final two Roadrunners to earn his first save of the season and sealing the Bruin win.
Barnett gave up just two runs on six hits and striking out one for his twelfth win of the season. Royse took the loss to drop to 9-5.
This game should not have been as close as it was. The Bruins left 13 runners on base in this game, which is something they can’t continue to do if they want to head to Omaha.
The bottom line in this one, though, is that they scored when it mattered to take the lead in the series. Now, this afternoon, they will go for the sweep and the trip to Omaha.
Look for Landon Stump to start today’s game for UCLA while senior Conor Miles should get the nod for the Roadrunners.
2025 NCAA Baseball Super Regionals
Teams: #15 seed UCLA Bruins (45-16) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (47-13)
Where: Jackie Robinson Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
When: 12:00 Noon PT, Sunday, June 8, 2025
TV: ESPN2 with Victor Rojas and Todd Walker
Live Stream: WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app
Live Audio: uclabruins.com with Nick Koop and Sid Iyer
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
NCAA Game Center
Game 2 Probable Pitchers:
UCLA - Landon Stump, RHP, So. (6-1, 4.80 ERA)
UTSA - Conor Miles, LHP, Sr. (5-1, 4.93 ERA)
This is your Los Angeles Super Regional Game Two game thread.
Go Bruins!!
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The Roadrunners are running out of outs!
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