Saturday, April 26
Los Angeles, CA
2:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
31-11, 15-5
9
vs
1
Penn State
25-16, 12-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Penn State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
7
0
UCLA
0
1
0
5
2
1
0
0
X
9
10
0
AJ Salgado
No. 15 UCLA Takes Down Penn State to Clinch Series Win, 9-1
April 26, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – The No. 15-ranked UCLA baseball team clinched a series win over Penn State with its 9-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
UCLA (31-11, 15-5 Big Ten) received huge performances from AJ Salgado and Payton Brennan in an offensive effort that featured 10 hits, including five for extra bases.
Salgado finished a single shy of the cycle in his 3-for-4 day at the plate, racking up three RBIs and three run scored. The senior's second homer in as many days was his ninth home run of season.
Brennan was outstanding in his return from injury, collecting three RBIs in his two-hit day. His opposite field bomb was his fifth of the campaign.
Roch Cholowsky hit his team-best 15th big fly of the season, ascending into the top five of the Big Ten home run rankings.
Michael Barnett (8-0) was brilliant on the mound for UCLA, earning the win after holding the Nittany Lions (25-16, 12-11 Big Ten) scoreless in his six innings of work. The Lafayette native struck out six batters without issuing a walk on the afternoon.
Dean West continued his hot streak, notching two hits in the contest.
Salgado led off UCLA's second inning by banging a triple off the left-center field wall. Payton Brennan promptly brought him home by swinging at the first pitch he saw and ripping a sharp single through the right side. This was Brennan's first at-bat since April 6 after missing the last three weeks due to injury.
Home runs from Cholowsky and Brennan fueled the Bruins' five-run fourth inning. UCLA's shortstop punished a hanging breaking ball, smacking a towering homer off a palm tree beyond the left-field wall. Levu followed with a four-pitch walk, then Salgado laced an RBI double down the left-field line. Brennan stepped to the plate and did more damage, launching a two-run shot to the opposite field.
With runners on first and third and just one out, Phoenix Call came up with a productive at-bat, laying down a sacrifice bunt to score Cashel Dugger to cap the five-run inning for UCLA.
The Bruins added to their lead in their next trip to the plate when Salgado blasted a two-run shot over the batter's eye. UCLA pushed another run across in the sixth when Levu delivered an RBI single to make it a 9-0 advantage.
Cal Randall, Josh Alger, and CJ Bott threw an inning each to get the last nine outs for UCLA. Penn State scored once in the ninth, but the Bruins comfortably held its lead to clinch the 9-1 victory.
The Bruins return to Jackie Robinson Stadium for the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m. Landon Stump is scheduled to get the start for UCLA on the mound. The game will be available to watch on B1G+.
UCLA (31-11, 15-5 Big Ten) received huge performances from AJ Salgado and Payton Brennan in an offensive effort that featured 10 hits, including five for extra bases.
Salgado finished a single shy of the cycle in his 3-for-4 day at the plate, racking up three RBIs and three run scored. The senior's second homer in as many days was his ninth home run of season.
Brennan was outstanding in his return from injury, collecting three RBIs in his two-hit day. His opposite field bomb was his fifth of the campaign.
Roch Cholowsky hit his team-best 15th big fly of the season, ascending into the top five of the Big Ten home run rankings.
Michael Barnett (8-0) was brilliant on the mound for UCLA, earning the win after holding the Nittany Lions (25-16, 12-11 Big Ten) scoreless in his six innings of work. The Lafayette native struck out six batters without issuing a walk on the afternoon.
Dean West continued his hot streak, notching two hits in the contest.
Salgado led off UCLA's second inning by banging a triple off the left-center field wall. Payton Brennan promptly brought him home by swinging at the first pitch he saw and ripping a sharp single through the right side. This was Brennan's first at-bat since April 6 after missing the last three weeks due to injury.
Home runs from Cholowsky and Brennan fueled the Bruins' five-run fourth inning. UCLA's shortstop punished a hanging breaking ball, smacking a towering homer off a palm tree beyond the left-field wall. Levu followed with a four-pitch walk, then Salgado laced an RBI double down the left-field line. Brennan stepped to the plate and did more damage, launching a two-run shot to the opposite field.
With runners on first and third and just one out, Phoenix Call came up with a productive at-bat, laying down a sacrifice bunt to score Cashel Dugger to cap the five-run inning for UCLA.
The Bruins added to their lead in their next trip to the plate when Salgado blasted a two-run shot over the batter's eye. UCLA pushed another run across in the sixth when Levu delivered an RBI single to make it a 9-0 advantage.
Cal Randall, Josh Alger, and CJ Bott threw an inning each to get the last nine outs for UCLA. Penn State scored once in the ninth, but the Bruins comfortably held its lead to clinch the 9-1 victory.
The Bruins return to Jackie Robinson Stadium for the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m. Landon Stump is scheduled to get the start for UCLA on the mound. The game will be available to watch on B1G+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Barnett, Michael (8-0)
L: Horwat, Mason (4-4)
Batting:
2B: Porter, Jack 1
RBI: Jaconski, Jesse 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Molinaro, Bryce 1
CS: Weingartner, Ryan 1
HBP: Jaconski, Joe 1
Batting:
2B: Salgado, AJ 1
3B: Salgado, AJ 1
HR: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Salgado, AJ 1 ; Brennan, Payton 1
RBI: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Salgado, AJ 3 ; Brennan, Payton 3 ; Call, Phoenix 1
SH: Call, Phoenix 1
Base Running:
RUNS: West, Dean 1 ; Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Salgado, AJ 3 ; Brennan, Payton 1 ; Hocking, Jarrod 1
HBP: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Hocking, Jarrod 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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