Tuesday, March 4
Los Angeles, CA
5:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
10-3
22
vs
5
Michigan
6-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Michigan
2
0
0
0
1
2
0
5
8
2
UCLA
3
3
9
2
5
0
X
22
16
0
Dean West
UCLA Dominates Michigan in Run-Rule Victory, 22-5
March 04, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โย The UCLA baseball team exploded for 16 hits and 22 runs in its dominant run-rule victory over Michigan on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.ย
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With the 10-run mercy rule in effect and the Bruins leading 22-5, the game was called after seven innings.
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Payton Brennan highlighted the effort for UCLA (10-3) with his 4-for-5 day at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in another. He is the first Bruin to record four hits in a game this season.
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UCLA recorded seven extra base hits in total, hitting six doubles and a sixth-inning home run from Blake Balsz, his first of the season.
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Balsz occupied the designated hitter spot in the lineup and collected a season-best six RBI while scoring three runs in his 2-for-2 performance.
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Eight of the nine UCLA starters recorded a hit in the contest. Mulivai Levu, AJ Salgado, Cashel Dugger, Cameron Kim, and Balsz enjoyed two-hit days at the plate.ย
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Luke Rodriguez earned the win after tossing three innings and surrendering just one run.ย
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The Wolverines used three consecutive singles to post a two-spot in the first frame. However, the Bruins quickly responded with three runs in their half of the inning. Dean West started the inning with a walk, then Levu promptly doubled off the right-field wall to score UCLA's leadoff hitter.ย
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Brennan singled to keep the inning alive and Dugger's ground ball up the middle brought Levu around to score. Roman Martin worked a walk to load the bases for Blake Balsz, who capped the Bruins' three-run rally by drawing another free pass.
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UCLA returned to the top of the order in the second inning and immediately added to its lead when Cholowsky lined a double into the left-field corner to score West from first base. Levu made it back-to-back doubles, scoring Cholowsky, then Salagdo delivered an RBI ground out to make it another three-run inning for the Bruins.ย
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The onslaught continued when UCLA exploded for nine runs in the third. Cholowsky worked a walk with the bases juiced after being down 0-2 in the count, then Levu lifted a sacrifice fly to bring a run home. Brennan and Salgado provided RBI base hits to bring UCLA's run total to double digits.ย
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A throwing error with the bases still loaded plated two more runs and then Balsz doubled in the gap to score two more. West flared a ball down the left-field line for yet another RBI base hit, concluding the nine-run inning.
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Kim smoked a two-RBI double in the fourth to extend the lead before Michigan finally ended the scoring streak when Will Rogers hit a solo home run to start the fifth.
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In the bottom of the fifth, Balsz launched a three-run homer to spark a five-run inning. This was the first big fly of the season for the Ranch Santa Margarita native.
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Freshman David Mysza made his collegiate debut on Tuesday night, receiving two at-bats while filling in at second base defensively.
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The Bruins will begin their first-ever Big Ten Conference campaign with a series against Maryland, starting on Friday, March 7 at 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET). The game will be available for viewing on B1G+.
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With the 10-run mercy rule in effect and the Bruins leading 22-5, the game was called after seven innings.
ย
Payton Brennan highlighted the effort for UCLA (10-3) with his 4-for-5 day at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in another. He is the first Bruin to record four hits in a game this season.
ย
UCLA recorded seven extra base hits in total, hitting six doubles and a sixth-inning home run from Blake Balsz, his first of the season.
ย
Balsz occupied the designated hitter spot in the lineup and collected a season-best six RBI while scoring three runs in his 2-for-2 performance.
ย
Eight of the nine UCLA starters recorded a hit in the contest. Mulivai Levu, AJ Salgado, Cashel Dugger, Cameron Kim, and Balsz enjoyed two-hit days at the plate.ย
ย
Luke Rodriguez earned the win after tossing three innings and surrendering just one run.ย
ย
The Wolverines used three consecutive singles to post a two-spot in the first frame. However, the Bruins quickly responded with three runs in their half of the inning. Dean West started the inning with a walk, then Levu promptly doubled off the right-field wall to score UCLA's leadoff hitter.ย
ย
Brennan singled to keep the inning alive and Dugger's ground ball up the middle brought Levu around to score. Roman Martin worked a walk to load the bases for Blake Balsz, who capped the Bruins' three-run rally by drawing another free pass.
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UCLA returned to the top of the order in the second inning and immediately added to its lead when Cholowsky lined a double into the left-field corner to score West from first base. Levu made it back-to-back doubles, scoring Cholowsky, then Salagdo delivered an RBI ground out to make it another three-run inning for the Bruins.ย
ย
The onslaught continued when UCLA exploded for nine runs in the third. Cholowsky worked a walk with the bases juiced after being down 0-2 in the count, then Levu lifted a sacrifice fly to bring a run home. Brennan and Salgado provided RBI base hits to bring UCLA's run total to double digits.ย
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A throwing error with the bases still loaded plated two more runs and then Balsz doubled in the gap to score two more. West flared a ball down the left-field line for yet another RBI base hit, concluding the nine-run inning.
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Kim smoked a two-RBI double in the fourth to extend the lead before Michigan finally ended the scoring streak when Will Rogers hit a solo home run to start the fifth.
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In the bottom of the fifth, Balsz launched a three-run homer to spark a five-run inning. This was the first big fly of the season for the Ranch Santa Margarita native.
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Freshman David Mysza made his collegiate debut on Tuesday night, receiving two at-bats while filling in at second base defensively.
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The Bruins will begin their first-ever Big Ten Conference campaign with a series against Maryland, starting on Friday, March 7 at 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET). The game will be available for viewing on B1G+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rodriguez, Luke (1-0)
L: Kurt Barr (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Colby Turner 1
HR: Will Rogers 1
RBI: Jeter Ybarra 1 ; Cole Caruso 1 ; Colby Turner 1 ; Noah Miller 1 ; Will Rogers 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Benjamin Casillas 1 ; Mitch Voit 1 ; Cade Ladehoff 1 ; Joe Longo 1 ; Will Rogers 1
CS: AJ Rausch 1
Batting:
2B: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Salgado, AJ 2 ; Balsz, Blake 1 ; Kim, Cameron 1
HR: Balsz, Blake 1
RBI: West, Dean 1 ; Cholowsky, Roch 2 ; Levu, Mulivai 3 ; Brennan, Payton 1 ; Salgado, AJ 3 ; Dugger, Cashel 2 ; Balsz, Blake 6 ; Kim, Cameron 2
SF: Levu, Mulivai 1
Base Running:
RUNS: West, Dean 3 ; Cholowsky, Roch 2 ; Levu, Mulivai 2 ; Brennan, Payton 3 ; Salgado, AJ 3 ; Dugger, Cashel 2 ; Martin, Roman 3 ; Balsz, Blake 3 ; Kim, Cameron 1
HBP: West, Dean 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Balsz, Blake 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
3
H
4
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
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