UCLA
18-33, 8-21
Stanford
20-31, 11-18
Bruins Clinch Stanford Series With 8-3 Friday Win
May 17, 2024 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA baseball team posted a pair of four-spots late to record an 8-3 win over Stanford on Friday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The result clinched a series win for the Bruins (18-33, 8-21 Pac-12) in their final set of the 2024 season. Stanford (20-31, 11-18) dropped its ninth straight game.
A pair of freshmen led the way for UCLA offensively on Friday. Center fielder Dean West went 3-3 and drove in three, setting new career bests in hits and RBIs. Third baseman Roch Cholowsky added three knocks and scored a pair of runs.
Another frosh, outfielder Phoenix Call, provided the coupe de grace with a two-run double in the eighth that closed the scoring.
In all, UCLA freshmen combined for seven of the team's eight RBIs in the game. In addition, practically all of the Bruins' offensive damage came with two outs – all eight runs and 11 of 12 hits came with two away.
Sophomore righty Michael Barnett turned in a quality start to earn the win for UCLA, limiting Stanford to three runs on six hits with five strikeouts over seven complete innings. Stanford only did damage against him in one frame, a three-run top of the second that opened the scoring.
The Bruins had just two hits over the first five innings of the game against Stanford starter Nick Dugan, but the bats came to life in the second half of the game to the tune of four-run innings in the sixth and eighth.
A pair of upperclassmen provided the tinder for the Bruins' go-ahead rally in the sixth, as AJ Salgado pulled a double into right field before scoring on a Duce Gourson line single to get the Bruins on the board. UCLA continued to rally after that drought-breaking knock from Gourson, as Cholowsky followed with a base hit to right before another run came in on a balk. West capped the inning by rolling a grounder through the right side to plate a pair.
Though it proved to be unnecessary, UCLA would double its run production two innings later. After the first two batters of that frame were retired, the next six Bruins all reached in succession, with all but one collecting a hit. West and junior shortstop Cody Schrier each had an RBI single before Call lined one into the left-center field gap with the bases loaded to bring two more across and make it 8-3.
Stanford did get to Barnett for three in the second, but other than that they hardly threatened against him, getting a runner past first base on just one occasion. Barnett retired the side in order three times, and ended his outing by retiring eight in a row.
Freshman Cal Randall went the rest of the way, tossing two scoreless innings while striking out three to pick up his first-career save.
UCLA and Stanford conclude the series on Saturday afternoon starting at 12 p.m. PT. The Bruins will honor their graduating seniors in a pregame ceremony.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Barnett, Michael (5-3)
L: Moore, Trevor (3-1)
S: Randall, Cal (1)
Batting:
RBI: MacDonald, Cort 1 ; Reynolds, Brady 1 ; Becerra, Temo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moore, Malcolm 1 ; Saum, Charlie 1 ; Reynolds, Brady 1
SB: Haskins, Trevor 1
HBP: Moore, Malcolm 1 ; Saum, Charlie 1
Batting:
2B: Salgado, AJ 1 ; Call, Phoenix 1
RBI: Gourson, Duce 1 ; West, Dean 3 ; Schrier, Cody 1 ; Call, Phoenix 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Salgado, AJ 1 ; Gourson, Duce 1 ; Cholowsky, Roch 2 ; Holman, Jack 2 ; West, Dean 1 ; Schrier, Cody 1
