UCLA baseball wins rubber match to secure series win over Arizona

The Bruins had been in this situation before – needing a win in the Sunday matinee to take the series.

And for the second time this year, they delivered.

Then-No. 11 UCLA baseball (12-6, 2-1 Pac-12) took the rubber match of its Pac-12-opening series against Arizona (13-6, 1-2) at Jackie Robinson Stadium 11-3, scoring nine straight runs after trailing 2-0 before a Bruin even stepped up to the plate.

Junior right-hander Nick Nastrini plunked the first batter of the game and walked the second, leading to runners on second and third with two outs later in the frame. He was ahead of Arizona’s Jacob Berry 0-2, but the designated hitter lined Nastrini’s two-strike offering back up the middle, bringing home the pair.

The RBI single was the only hit Nastini allowed Sunday, but his outing did not last long as he was pulled after a two-out walk in the fourth inning. He walked five and struck out four, earning a no decision.

“You can’t pitch the way he did today and expect to stay in the game – pretty erratic pitching to begin with,” said coach John Savage. “At times, it looks like he’s one of the premier pitchers in the Pac-12 and then other times, he just kind of lets the thing get away from him.”

UCLA tied the game and took the lead thanks to runs in the second, third and fourth innings, highlighted by junior shortstop Matt McLain’s second home run of the season – a high line drive off the batter’s eye in center field to give the Bruins a 3-2 advantage.

An inning later, freshman third baseman Kyle Karros added to the lead with a one-out, two-run ground ball double down the left-field line, which was called fair to the dismay of the Arizona coaching staff.

Savage said Karros has impressed him out of the nine hole in the lineup, taking advantage of the everyday playing time afforded him by Bruin injuries.

“He’s facing a lot of really good arms, and you can see him growing as a defensive player; you can see him growing as an offensive player,” Savage said. “He clearly won’t be a nine hitter down the road, but right now, that’s the role that he’s in and he’s done a really good job and come up with some really big hits. Today (it) was a big double.”

In the bottom of the sixth, UCLA again padded its lead, this time via a two-run opposite-field double off the bat of sophomore right fielder Michael Curialle. A wild pitch scored junior catcher Noah Cardenas, and Curialle was brought home after a pop-up by Karros was dropped by Wildcat second baseman Kobe Kato.

The Bruins’ final scores of the game came in the home half of the seventh when redshirt sophomore first baseman JT Schwartz’s line drive to right field stayed fair, clearing the wall for his first collegiate home run.

“I haven’t played a ton of games, but it’s good to get the first one out of the way,” Schwartz said. “I was just on time for the fastball and I was just kind of ready for it. He kind of made a mistake and I took advantage of it.”

Following Nastrini’s shortest start of the season, Savage elected to call on sophomore left-hander Jake Saum to get the final out of the fourth. The southpaw did that and more, retiring the first seven Wildcat batters he faced.

His stretch ended in the top of the seventh and he gave up a run, but his 2.2 innings of relief were nonetheless enough to earn him his first career win.

Saum said the series win gives the team trust in its abilities going forward with its conference slate.

“It gives the team a lot of confidence,” Saum said. “Arizona’s a good team – they can clearly hit for power – so we’re showing ourselves we can go out and beat those guys. It sets us up pretty well.”

UCLA will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts Loyola Marymount for the second time this season.