LOS ANGELES – Dominic Cadiz provided the heroics in the bottom of the 10th inning, shooting a walk-off single into right to cap No. 1 UCLA's 4-3 comeback win over Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
The Bruins (10-2) have now won four straight and secured back-to-back extra-inning victories, rallying despite being no-hit through six innings.
Dean West finally broke through with an RBI single in the seventh, sparking a three-run frame that erased a 3-0 deficit and sent the game into extras.
UCLA's bullpen kept the Cal State Fullerton (4-8) bats quiet down the stretch, highlighted by Zach Strickland's 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Cal Randall's escape act in the top of the 10th, which set the stage for Cadiz's winner.
Will Gasparino paced the offense with two of the Bruins' four hits.
Cal State Fullerton struck early with a three-run third inning, including a two-run homer from Ty Thomas, and held UCLA hitless while issuing six walks through six innings.
The Bruins finally broke through after the stretch when Kasen Khansarinia and Phoenix Call worked walks before West floated a base hit to center to score the first run for UCLA. Roch Cholowsky followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2, and West later dashed home on a wild pitch, just sneaking in before the tag, to tie the game.
Gasparino set the table in the 10th by hammering a leadoff double off the center-field wall, immediately putting the winning run in scoring position. Aiden Aguayo followed with a walk, and a passed ball moved Gasparino to third, setting the stage for Cadiz who was called upon as a pinch hitter. The freshman took a ball, then jumped on the next pitch he saw, lining a clean single into right to bring Gasparino home and seal the win for UCLA.
UCLA opens Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series at Ohio State, traveling to Columbus for its first conference road test of the season. The opener is set for March 6 at 1 p.m. PT, with live coverage available on B1G+.
The Bruins (10-2) have now won four straight and secured back-to-back extra-inning victories, rallying despite being no-hit through six innings.
Dean West finally broke through with an RBI single in the seventh, sparking a three-run frame that erased a 3-0 deficit and sent the game into extras.
UCLA's bullpen kept the Cal State Fullerton (4-8) bats quiet down the stretch, highlighted by Zach Strickland's 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Cal Randall's escape act in the top of the 10th, which set the stage for Cadiz's winner.
Will Gasparino paced the offense with two of the Bruins' four hits.
Cal State Fullerton struck early with a three-run third inning, including a two-run homer from Ty Thomas, and held UCLA hitless while issuing six walks through six innings.
The Bruins finally broke through after the stretch when Kasen Khansarinia and Phoenix Call worked walks before West floated a base hit to center to score the first run for UCLA. Roch Cholowsky followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2, and West later dashed home on a wild pitch, just sneaking in before the tag, to tie the game.
Gasparino set the table in the 10th by hammering a leadoff double off the center-field wall, immediately putting the winning run in scoring position. Aiden Aguayo followed with a walk, and a passed ball moved Gasparino to third, setting the stage for Cadiz who was called upon as a pinch hitter. The freshman took a ball, then jumped on the next pitch he saw, lining a clean single into right to bring Gasparino home and seal the win for UCLA.
UCLA opens Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series at Ohio State, traveling to Columbus for its first conference road test of the season. The opener is set for March 6 at 1 p.m. PT, with live coverage available on B1G+.