BERKELEY, Calif. – Daniel Amaral hit a two-run home run, while Zach Pettway tossed six strong innings as the No. 15 UCLA baseball team evened the three-game series at California with a 4-2 win on Friday night from Evans Diamond.
Pettway earned the win tossing 6.0 innings allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts to improve to 5-0. Holden Powell picked up his first save in Pac-12 play tossing the final 1.1 innings allowing just one hit with one strikeout.
The Bruins took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning when Amaral hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence to plate Will McInerny who led off with a single for a 2-1 advantage.
UCLA would put up two more runs in the eighth inning to make the score 4-1. Cal loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch for pinch-hitter RJ Teijeiro who ripped a base hit through the right side to plate Jack Stronach. Two batters later, Jake Hirabayashi would draw the bases-loaded walk for the second run of the frame.
The Golden Bears scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it a two-run game on a single up the middle by Sam Wezniak but were unable to cut the deficit any further as Amaral threw a strike from center field to cut down Jonah Davis at home for the final out of the inning.
Amaral saved a run earlier in the game in the sixth inning when he robbed a home run off the bat of Quentin Selma with a leaping catch at the wall to keep it a three-run advantage for the Bruins.
California got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Davis hit a solo home run to right field.
Cal starter Jared Horn (3-3) suffered the loss allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in five innings of work.
UCLA (16-6, 6-2) scored four runs on four hits with no errors, while California (15-10, 2-6) finished with two runs on seven hits with no errors.
The series finale between UCLA and California will be played on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT from Evans Diamond.
Game Notes: Daniel Amaral hit his third home run of his career and the second of the season … RJ Teijeiro drove in his fourth run of the season … Zach Pettway is the first Bruin freshman since Grant Watson in 2012 to begin his career 5-0 … Pettway threw six or more innings for the fifth-straight start … Holden Powell recorded his team-best third save of the season … Ryan Garcia made his first appearance since throwing in the suspended game at CSUN on March 14 … UCLA is 5-5 when being out-hit by its opponent.