UCLA baseball suffers first loss of season in back-and-forth battle versus UCSB

The Bruins allowed more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning than they had in any of their first 11 games and could not overcome the deficit.

No. 6 UCLA baseball (11-1) lost to UC Santa Barbara (10-2) 8-5 on Tuesday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for its first defeat of the season. The previously undefeated Bruins had not given up more than two runs in any game before Tuesday, but gave up six runs in the Gauchos’ last four offensive innings – including four in the bottom of the fifth.

The Gauchos jumped out to the early lead, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning against the Bruins’ starter freshman Jared Karros. The righty was able to put up a zero in the second before UCLA came back to tie the game in the third inning with an RBI single to left center from redshirt junior designated hitter Jarron Silva.

The Bruins were able to draw even with the Gauchos twice Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough.

After UCLA tied the game in the third, UCSB came right back with a run of its own to retake the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

This time, the home squad’s lead didn’t last through the next inning, as the Bruins plated two in the top of the fourth, thanks to a run-scoring error off the bat of senior left fielder Kyle Cuellar and an RBI single by junior infielder RJ Teijeiro.

The Bruins extended their lead to two runs in the top of the fifth inning when sophomore catcher Noah Cardenas doubled in a run with two outs in the frame, bringing the score to 4-2 after four and a half innings.

But UCLA’s two-run advantage didn’t stand long either. And after the fifth inning, there would be no catching up.

In the bottom of the fifth, Karros walked the leadoff man and was pulled in favor of junior right-hander Adrian Chaidez.

The righty in relief gave up a walk and a single before getting a strikeout for the first out of the inning.

Next out of the bullpen was freshman left-hander Jake Saum, who walked the only Gaucho he faced, narrowing the advantage to one run.

UCLA was able to get an out before allowing another run and held onto the lead with two outs and the bases loaded. Sophomore left-hander Daniel Colwell was called on and issued a walk to the first man he faced – the fourth walk allowed by the Bruins in the inning and the second with the bases loaded – and then a go-ahead two-run single to designated hitter Mason Marquez. The two-run lead had turned into a two-run deficit in one half inning.

Sophomore right-hander Sean Mullen was the sixth and final pitcher UCLA used in the inning, as he came on and struck out one batter for the final out of the four-run frame.

Mullen pitched the sixth and seventh innings and did not allow a run while striking out four.

Despite Mullen keeping the the Gauchos off the board, the Bruins didn’t score either and were sent down in order in the sixth and seventh innings, and they couldn’t capitalize on a leadoff single by Cardenas in the eighth.

The Gauchos also got their leadoff man aboard in the eighth, and he came around to score one of the two runs they added in the inning against senior right-hander Kyle Mora.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Bruins were able to get one run back, but it wasn’t enough to best the Gauchos.

UCLA was without starting shortstop sophomore Matt McLain – the Bruins’ team leader in batting average, on-base plus slugging, home runs and RBIs – who did not play for the first time this season.

The Bruins will return to Jackie Robinson Stadium, after going 3-1 on their first road trip of the season, to compete in the Southern California College Baseball Classic. UCLA is set to face No. 2 Vanderbilt on Friday and No. 22 Texas Christian on Saturday, before playing crosstown rival USC away Sunday.