Defensive Heroics Lift No. 1 UCLA Past Pepperdine, 5-4

Tuesday, March 17

Los Angeles, CA

6:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

18-2

Pepperdine

4-16

Pepperdine

UCLA

Payton Brennan

Photo by: Mac Brown

Defensive Heroics Lift No. 1 UCLA Past Pepperdine, 5-4

March 17, 2026 | Baseball

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LOS ANGELES – The No. 1-ranked UCLA baseball team held their one-run edge in the ninth thanks to Dean West's defensive heroics and Cal Randall's clutch strikeout, closing out a 5-4 victory over Pepperdine on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The Bruins (18-2, 6-0 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to twelve after West cut down the potential tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth, and Randall finished the job by striking out the final batter for the save.

Payton Brennan powered the offense, going 3-for-4 with the go-ahead solo homer in the fifth, his third of the season.

Jarrod Hocking impressed in his first start in right field this year, collecting two hits and making a highlight-reel diving catch in the seventh.

Mulivai Levu added his sixth home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 night, while Phoenix Call delivered a two-run single in the second.

The Waves jumped out to an early lead, using a pair of early hits to push across two runs in the top of the first.

UCLA answered in the home half when Levu crushed a two-run shot to deep center, pulling the Bruins even at 2-2. It marked his sixth homer of the season.

UCLA quickly seized the lead in the bottom of the second, with Brennan and Hocking delivering back-to-back singles to set the table. Kasen Khansarinia followed with a productive at-bat, dropping down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Call cashed both runners in by drilling a base hit up the middle to put the Bruins in front, 4-2.

The Waves chipped away in the third, using a one-out double and an RBI single to manufacture a run. In the fifth, Pepperdine pulled even, but Strickland ended the threat by inducing a 6-4-3 double play with a runner on third to escape the jam.

Brennan restored the Bruins' lead when he smacked an opposite field home run over the left-field wall in the bottom of the sixth.

UCLA loaded the bases in the eighth with a chance to break the game open, but were unable come up with the big swing to cash in.

Ian May followed with a clean eighth, but a leadoff bloop single and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt put two on with nobody out in the ninth. The left-hander responded with a huge strikeout for the first out, but another blooper dropped in front of West in left. The runner from second raced around third in the attempt to score tying run, but West delivered the play of the night, throwing him out at the plate to preserve the lead.

Randall was summoned for the final out and finished the job, striking out the last batter to seal the win.

UCLA now prepares for a three-game Big Ten series against Maryland, with the opener set for Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m. PT. Live coverage will be available on B1G+.