UCLA
34-13, 17-7
USC
32-15, 16-8
No. 14 UCLA Drops Series Finale to USC, 11-5
May 04, 2025 | Baseball
The Bruins (34-13, 17-7 Big Ten) seized early momentum when Roman Martin launched a three-run homer in the first, but USC responded with nine unanswered runs to take control. The defeat marked just the second weekend series loss of the season for UCLA.
USC reliever Andrew Johnson silenced the Bruins' bats, delivering 6.1 dominant innings without allowing an earned run in his relief outing.
In addition to Martin's early homer, AJ Salgado enjoyed a three-hit day at the plate to help lead UCLA's offense charge.
The loss marked a first for the Bruins, snapping their perfect 17-0 record when scoring first this season.
UCLA struck first when Martin unleashed a mammoth three-run homer to left field in the opening frame. The towering blast was Martin's second 400-plus foot shot of the weekend.
Martin's home run proved doubly damaging, as it knocked USC starter Mason Edwards out of the contest after recording just one out.
USC roared back in the fourth, launching consecutive homers, a two-run blast followed by a solo shot, to erase the deficit. An inning later, the Trojans rallied four runs with two outs to storm into the lead.
The hosts added a pair in the sixth to make it nine unanswered runs.
UCLA showed signs of life in the top of the seventh when back-to-back RBI base hits from Roch Cholowsky and Mulivai Levu cut the deficit to four.
USC continued its offensive onslaught when Augie Lopez belted a solo shot after the seventh-inning stretch, pushing the lead to five. Ethan Hedges followed with a solo blast in the eighth as the Trojans completed its run of five consecutive scoring innings.
The Bruins will travel to Long Beach State for their final midweek game of the regular season on Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnson, Andrew (3-0)
L: Grothues, Chris (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Dugger, Cashel 1
HR: Martin, Roman 1
RBI: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Martin, Roman 3
SH: Call, Phoenix 1
Base Running:
RUNS: West, Dean 1 ; Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1
CS: Salgado, AJ 1
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Lamb, Andrew 1 ; Lopez, Augie 1
HR: Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Lamb, Andrew 1 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Lopez, Augie 1
RBI: Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 2 ; Lamb, Andrew 3 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Lopez, Augie 4
SH: Grudzielanek, Bryce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Lamb, Andrew 2 ; Basseer, Jack 2 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1 ; Lopez, Augie 1
HBP: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
