UCLA Baseball Sweeps Arizona State, Closes Series With Another Offensive Onslaught

A nine-run first inning set the Bruins up for their third win of the weekend and fifth-straight in Pac-12 play.

(Photo Courtesy of Jesus Ramirez/UCLA Athletics)

The Bruins had all the runs they needed before recording a single out, but that didn't stop them from tacking on some insurance to make things a little more comfortable.

No. 13 UCLA baseball (30-13, 14-7 Pac-12) completed its sweep over Arizona State (20-25, 9-12) with a 16-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium, riding a nine-run first inning to another high-scoring performance. The win keeps the Bruins in the hunt for the Pac-12 regular season title, now tied for the most wins in the conference amid a five-team logjam at the top.

The Bruins averaged 2.3 runs per game during a recent 1-3 stretch in conference play, but they have now won five straight Pac-12 showdowns while putting up 11.4 runs a contest.

"We have what we want right now," said coach John Savage. "They're doing a really good job of offensing and putting a lot of good at-bats together."

Six Bruins got on board to start the bottom of the first, putting UCLA up 3-0 with the bases loaded before they even ran into any trouble. Sophomore designated hitter Daylen Reyes went down in the count 0-2 and appeared to represent the first out of the frame, but he flipped that around into a 10-pitch at-bat that ended in a two-RBI double off the left-center wall.

Arizona State finally yanked starter Boyd Vander Kooi after he walked graduate left fielder Kenny Oyama, but sophomore No. 9 hitter Carson Yates took reliever Tyler Meyer’s first pitch deep to left for a grand slam.

"When they put the new guy in, coach was just telling me to be on the fastball to the opposite field and if they hang anything offspeed, be able to keep it fair," Yates said. "And so that's exactly what I did, just kept it fair and it went over the fence."

UCLA batted through the order without recording a single out, with each and every starter crossing home plate in the very first frame to go up 9-0. The rally started with errors and plenty of small-ball action, but ended with hard-hit balls that set the Bruins up for a big day at the plate.

Arizona State actually answered by loading the bases in the second, scoring a run on a single to left, before Oyama gunned down the trailing runner at the plate to end the inning and limit the damage.

"It was a big play," Oyama said. "I just wanted to help pick up my pitcher. Kelly was making good pitches, so I just help him out any way I can.

The Sun Devils kept the pressure on in the third, with redshirt sophomore right-hander Kelly Austin allowing a leadoff double before giving up a three-run shot to third baseman Nate Baez over the batter’s eye in center. The Bruins still led by five, despite only having one more hit than their opponent at that point in the contest.

And while UCLA struggled to get hits, Arizona State continued to hound Austin. A solo home run to center by left fielder Will Rogers made it 9-5 in the fourth, all while the Bruins hadn’t gotten a hit since the leadoff man in the second.

The game shifted once Savage turned things over to the bullpen, with freshman right-hander James Hepp – making his collegiate debut – and junior left-hander Josh Hahn – taking the mound for the first time all season – each pitching scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth.

"I'm really proud of a lot of guys that hadn't pitched that are ready to pitch," Savage said. "It just goes to show you their preparation and that their intent and conviction is genuine."

The bats picked up the pace between those clean debut innings on the mound, utilizing an RBI single by freshman shortstop Cody Schrier, a sac fly by graduate first baseman Jake Palmer and a two-RBI double by junior right fielder Michael Curialle to stretch the lead back to eight runs.

Reyes picked up an RBI single in the eighth after Curialle's leadoff triple, and Schrier only added to the onslaught with a two-RBI double to left. The runs very much came in bunches for the Bruins, who put up five goose eggs and tallied all 16 of their runs in three innings.

Frehsman Luke Jewett was tasked with closing things out, and he got through the last three innings without allowing another run.

UCLA will get back on the diamond Tuesday night for a road contest against Long Beach State, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.

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