MINNEAPOLIS – Jon Olsen threw a complete game allowing just one run, while Jake Hirabayashi and Michael Toglia each hit home runs as the No. 11 UCLA baseball team defeated Michigan State, 4-1, on Saturday at the DQ Classic/Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Olsen (2-0) needed just 99 pitches to throw the first complete game of his career. He scattered five hits and struck out eight batters without allowing a walk. It marks the first complete game by a Bruin pitcher since Griffin Canning last season against Oregon.
Offensively, Hirabayashi drove in three of UCLA's four runs finishing 2-for-3 and Toglia ended the game a triple short of the cycle recording three hits and scoring twice.
UCLA jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead as Toglia hit an opposite-field solo home run over the left-field wall in the first inning, but Michigan State tied the game with a solo home run of its own in the fourth inning by Justin Antoncic.
The Bruins regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Toglia led off the inning with a double to center field and then came around to score when Hirabayashi dropped down a bunt down the first-base line for a RBI-single.
Hirabayashi put the Bruins up 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when he hit his first career home run to left field to bring home Jeremy Ydens who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
MSU starter Ethan Landon (0-2) suffered the loss allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings of work.
UCLA (8-2) ended the game with four runs on seven hits with no errors, while Michigan State (2-7) finished with one run on five hits and one error.
UCLA will face host Minnesota in the final game of the DQ Classic/Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT.
Game Notes: Jon Olsen set a career-high in innings pitched and was one strikeout shy of his career high … Michael Toglia hit his fourth home run of the season and the 12th of his career … Jake Hirabayashi tied a career-high with three RBIs … Toglia leads the team with six multi-hit games, while Hirabayashi picked up his third of the year … Jeremy Ydens is now tied for the team lead with 12 runs scored.