LOS ANGELES - Facing elimination on the second day of NCAA Regional play, top-seeded UCLA rallied from two down in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Virginia Tech, 6-5. Back-to-back home runs by Mulivai Levu and Roman Martin to lead off the inning tied the game at 5-5, and Phoenix Call walked it off with a one-out single to score Will Gasparino. The win was UCLA's 30th comeback victory of the season.
After Levu and Martin's game-tying home runs in the ninth, the Bruins (52-7) extended the inning with an infield single by Gasparino and a full-count pinch-hit single by Dominic Cadiz. Call called game with a sharp single to left field, marking his second walk-off in UCLA's last three games.
"Just a credit to our guys for being resilient, staying with one another," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "We've had several games like that. We really don't want to play games like that at this time of the year. You're flirting with fire, and you're walking a tightrope a lot of times. But it is playoff baseball, so we are used to that. We do know what that looks like, certainly, the coaching staff and these players over two years. But we just live another day."
The Hokies had looked to take control late in the game after scoring a run in each of the last three innings to overcome a 3-2 UCLA lead. Ethan Gibson opened the seventh with a solo homer to tie the score, and Ethan Ball added another home run with two outs in the top of the eighth to reclaim the lead, 4-3. In the ninth, Hudson Lutterman followed a double by Gibson with a single down the right field line to increase the Hokies' lead to 5-3, needing just three outs to stay alive and advance in the Regional. But the Bruins had yet another comeback in them and ended Virginia Tech's season at 30-26.
UCLA and Virginia Tech combined for seven solo home runs, including four from the Bruins. The first came from Cashel Dugger, who led off the bottom of the fourth with his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Call and Jarred Hocking hit back-to-back doubles to put the Bruins ahead, 2-1.
The teams traded solo shots in the fifth inning. Owen Petrich hit his sixth of the year in the top of the inning, and Gasparino launched his 20th of the year in the bottom of the frame.
Bruin senior Michael Barnett pitched six solid innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five. Two of his three runs allowed were on solo home runs.
"Barnett was excellent," said Savage. "I thought it was the best game he's pitched all season."
Easton Hawk (7-3) earned the victory after pitching the ninth and striking out two. Virginia Tech starter Brett Renfrow allowed two runs in four innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning with a strikeout and groundout. He also stranded a pair of runners in the third by getting two popups. Ethan Grim (4-5) took the loss for the Hokies.
The Bruins will face the loser of the Cal Poly/Saint Mary's game on Sunday, May 31 at 1 p.m. PT.
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After Levu and Martin's game-tying home runs in the ninth, the Bruins (52-7) extended the inning with an infield single by Gasparino and a full-count pinch-hit single by Dominic Cadiz. Call called game with a sharp single to left field, marking his second walk-off in UCLA's last three games.
"Just a credit to our guys for being resilient, staying with one another," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "We've had several games like that. We really don't want to play games like that at this time of the year. You're flirting with fire, and you're walking a tightrope a lot of times. But it is playoff baseball, so we are used to that. We do know what that looks like, certainly, the coaching staff and these players over two years. But we just live another day."
The Hokies had looked to take control late in the game after scoring a run in each of the last three innings to overcome a 3-2 UCLA lead. Ethan Gibson opened the seventh with a solo homer to tie the score, and Ethan Ball added another home run with two outs in the top of the eighth to reclaim the lead, 4-3. In the ninth, Hudson Lutterman followed a double by Gibson with a single down the right field line to increase the Hokies' lead to 5-3, needing just three outs to stay alive and advance in the Regional. But the Bruins had yet another comeback in them and ended Virginia Tech's season at 30-26.
UCLA and Virginia Tech combined for seven solo home runs, including four from the Bruins. The first came from Cashel Dugger, who led off the bottom of the fourth with his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Call and Jarred Hocking hit back-to-back doubles to put the Bruins ahead, 2-1.
The teams traded solo shots in the fifth inning. Owen Petrich hit his sixth of the year in the top of the inning, and Gasparino launched his 20th of the year in the bottom of the frame.
Bruin senior Michael Barnett pitched six solid innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five. Two of his three runs allowed were on solo home runs.
"Barnett was excellent," said Savage. "I thought it was the best game he's pitched all season."
Easton Hawk (7-3) earned the victory after pitching the ninth and striking out two. Virginia Tech starter Brett Renfrow allowed two runs in four innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning with a strikeout and groundout. He also stranded a pair of runners in the third by getting two popups. Ethan Grim (4-5) took the loss for the Hokies.
The Bruins will face the loser of the Cal Poly/Saint Mary's game on Sunday, May 31 at 1 p.m. PT.