UCLA
10-15, 4-8
Arizona
13-13, 7-5
Bruins Drop Arizona Finale in Extras, 10-9
March 30, 2024 | Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz. โ Shortstop Mason White hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Arizona a 10-9 victory over UCLA in Saturday's series finale at Hi Corbett Field.
UCLA (10-15, 4-8 Pac-12) had battled back from an 8-2 deficit to tie it late and send it to extra innings, and even went ahead with a single run in the top half of the 12th. However, the Bruins' first lead of the game would be short-lived, as Arizona (13-13, 7-5) got the leadoff man aboard in the bottom half, setting up the walk-off dinger from White.
With the result, Arizona won all three games of the series in walk-off fashion. In fact, all four games UCLA played over the last week ended in last-at-bat wins, as Payton Brennan capped of a seven-for-seven night with a walk-off single in extras to down UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday night.
Eight of nine starters had a hit for UCLA on Saturday, including three-hit days from freshman first baseman Mulivai Levu (3-5, two runs), senior right fielder JonJon Vaughns (3-5, two runs), and junior center fielder Malakhi Knight (3-5, RBI).
Arizona scored in each of its first six offensive innings to build an 8-2 lead, but the Bruins began to charge back against the Wildcat bullpen starting in the eighth.
UCLA scored five runs in that frame to get back within one, as Arizona didn't record an out until the eighth batter of the inning.
Roman Martin, Levu, and Vaughns set the foundation for that rally by stringing together three consecutive singles to open the inning, which allowed a pair to come in after a potential Cashel Dugger double play ball was misplayed by the Arizona second baseman. Knight followed by pulling a double into the left-field corner, plating Vaughns.
The Bruins would bring in another two runs during that frame, on a bases-loaded walk to Cody Schrier and a run-scoring double play off the bat of Duce Gourson.
UCLA would get down to its final out in the ninth, but eventually would tie the game after Dugger stung one back up the middle to score pinch-runner Phoenix Call from second base. Call had entered the game for Levu, who reached with one out on an infield single to second.
Vaughns was at the center of UCLA's go-ahead top of the 12th, leading off that frame by pulling a 1-2 pitch into the right-center field gap for a triple. He came around moments later when graduate catcher Quintt Landis lined a 2-1 offering into left for an RBI single.
Each of the top four hitters in Arizona's lineup finished with multiple hits on Saturday. White led the way with a three-hit, three-run, four-RBI effort. Second baseman Garen Caulfield added three hits and two RBIs.
The Wildcats used a total of 10 pitchers in the contest.
UCLA concludes a four-game road swing on Tuesday night at local rival LMU. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Netz, Dawson (1-0)
L: Ruff, Rashad (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Brennan, Payton 1 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 2
3B: Vaughns, JonJon 1
RBI: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 2 ; Landis, Quintt 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1
SH: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schrier, Cody 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Levu, Mulivai 2 ; Call, Phoenix 1 ; Vaughns, JonJon 2 ; Dugger, Cashel 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1
SB: Brennan, Payton 1
CS: Brennan, Payton 1
Batting:
2B: Guzman, Adonys 1
3B: Corona, Emilio 1
HR: White, Mason 1
RBI: White, Mason 4 ; Caulfield, Garen 2 ; Summerhill, Brendan 1 ; Splaine, Tommy 1
SH: Rogers, Brandon 1
SF: Splaine, Tommy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: White, Mason 3 ; Morales, Richie 1 ; Summerhill, Brendan 1 ; Corona, Emilio 1 ; Splaine, Tommy 1 ; McDonald, Blake 2 ; Adams, TJ 1
SB: Adams, TJ 2
CS: Summerhill, Brendan 1
HBP: Splaine, Tommy 1 ; McDonald, Blake 1
