UCLA Baseball Comes From Behind to Beat St. Mary’s, 7-1

This afternoon, the UCLA baseball team will look to break out their brooms again when they try to complete a weekend sweep of the St. Mary’s Gaels. Yesterday, the Bruins came from behind to win their second game of the series by a score of 7-1.

Last Time Out

UCLA’s starter Nick Nastrini only lasted 3²⁄₃ innings yesterday before turning the game over to the Bruin bullpen even though he only gave up one run on four hits and two walks. Despite that, the bullpen came through and held the Gaels scoreless over 5 ¹⁄₃ innings to increase their scoreless streak to 22²⁄₃ innings so far this season.

In the top of the third, Nastini walked two before giving up an RBI single to Gio Diaz which put the Gaels ahead 1-0.

But the Bruins struck back in the bottom half of the inning. Garrett Mitchell hit a two-out double to right center and then scored when freshman Michael Curialle singled to right to tie the game.

In the top of the fourth, St. Mary’s threatened again with a pair of singles and John Savage had seen enough. With two outs, Savage brought Adrian Chaidez in for Nastrini and Chaidez got the next batter to ground out to end the threat.

Noah Cardenas led off the bottom half of the fourth for UCLA and he was hit by a pitch from Ty Madrigal. Jake Moberg singled before Madrigal walked Pat Caulfield to load the bases. Then, Mikey Perez walked on four pitches to score Cardenas and give the Bruins the lead for good.

But the Bruins weren’t done.

Moberg and Caulfield scored on a single by Will McInerny. With still no outs and the bases loaded, Curialle hit a grounder to short. Rather than throw home for a force play, the Gaels turned a double play, allowing Perez to score and UCLA had a 5-1 lead after four.

In the fifth, Caulfield hit a two-out, two-run homer to add a pair of insurance runs for the Bruins.

While the Gaels threatened in the sixth, the eighth and the ninth, UCLA’s pitchers were able to get out of all three jams without allowing a run and the Bruins had a 7-1 win.

Today’s Game

Jesse Bergin (1-0, 0.00) takes the hill for UCLA while Dalton Ponce (0-0, 3.18) will start for St. Mary’s. Last Sunday, Bergin allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out nine over five innings against UC Riverside in an 8-0 shutout.

Ponce allowed two runs in 5²⁄₃ innings last weekend against Sam Houston State and could have earned the win if Andrew Hanson hadn’t given up four runs to tie the game, leading to an extra innings win by the Gaels.

Based on the way the Bruins appear to be playing so far this season, expect another Bruins win today.


Go Bruins!