UCLA
46-16
UTSA
47-14
UCLA Baseball Notches 5-2 Win Against UTSA in Super Regionals
June 07, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 13-ranked UCLA baseball team outlasted UTSA, 5-2, in the opening game of the NCAA Super Regionals at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday evening.
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Bruins' right-handed starter Michael Barnett (12-1) picked up the victory, limiting the visiting Roadrunners (47-14) to two runs and six hits through six innings. Barnett had one strikeout and no walks in his second postseason start.
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UCLA's win helped the Bruins (46-16) secure a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series in Los Angeles. The Bruins are making their first appearance in the NCAA Super Regional round for the first time since 2019 and for the sixth time in head coach John Savage's 21-year tenure at UCLA.
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Both teams will be back in action with Game 2 on Sunday afternoon. Game time is set for 12 p.m. (PT) at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
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"It's one game," Savage said. "You can't get overly excited in these situations, and rule number one is that you don't. There's a lot of baseball left this weekend. We understand that. That game could have gone either way. We left some guys on base. They did a really good job of putting pressure on us. They pitched out of some problems. Michael [Barnett] was really good โ that was a really good start for us. To go six innings in a Super Regional game, 75 pitches, very efficient."
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Roman Martin and AJ Salgado each had two hits for UCLA on Saturday. Martin went 2-for-4, including an eighth-inning two-run triple, and three RBI. Dean West was 1-for-2 with a pair of runs, one RBI and one walk. The Bruins finished the game with five runs off 10 hits and drew six walks.
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UTSA right-hander Zach Royse (9-4) allowed three runs and nine hits through five frames. Royse registered three strikeouts and had three walks.
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Bruins' right-hander Easton Hawk pitched a perfect ninth inning to notch his team-leading seventh save.
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With UCLA leading 3-2 in the eighth inning, Martin lined a two-run, two-out triple into the right-center field gap to put the Bruins ahead, 5-2. Martin's triple sent home Dean West and Phoenix Call, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively.
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The Bruins overcame an early 2-0 deficit, scoring twice in the third inning and once in the fourth. Martin's triple in the eighth inning handed UCLA a three-run cushion.
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UCLA's two-run second inning featured a pair of one-out singles by West and Roch Cholowsky. With baserunners at the corners, Mulivai Levu laced a double down the right-field line to score West, and Martin plated Cholowsky with a run-scoring groundout.
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The Bruins' fourth inning included a trio of singles with one out โ by Payton Brennan, Cashel Dugger and Phoenix Call โ before West lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Brennan from third base.
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UTSA claimed a 2-0 lead through the first two innings. The visiting Roadrunners led off the game with a solo home run to left field by Mason Lytle. One inning later, UTSA scored a run on a delayed steal of home plate by Caden Miller with two outs and runners on the corners.
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Game 2 of the best-of-three Super Regional series this Sunday will be televised on ESPN2 at 12 p.m. (PT). A win by UCLA can help the Bruins to secure a berth in the Men's College World Series. A victory by UTSA can force a decisive Game 3 on Monday at UCLA.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Barnett, Michael (12-1)
L: Zach Royse (9-5)
S: Hawk, Easton (7)
Batting:
HR: Mason Lytle 1
RBI: Mason Lytle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mason Lytle 1 ; Caden Miller 1
SB: Caden Miller 1
HBP: Andrew Stucky 1
Batting:
2B: Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Salgado, AJ 1
3B: Martin, Roman 1
RBI: West, Dean 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Martin, Roman 3
SF: West, Dean 1
Base Running:
RUNS: West, Dean 2 ; Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Brennan, Payton 1 ; Call, Phoenix 1
SB: Salgado, AJ 1
HBP: West, Dean 1 ; Call, Phoenix 1
