UCLA baseball advances to NCAA Auburn Regional finals with win over Florida State
Sophomore Carson Yates celebrates after a win on May 15. The center fielder hit a ninth-inning go-ahead home run for No. 2 seed UCLA to propel it to the NCAA Auburn Regional finals. (Joseph Jimenez/Daily Bruin)
Baseball
| No. 2 seed UCLA | 2 |
| No. 3 seed Florida State | 1 |
By Jay Fenn
June 5, 2022 2:58 p.m.
Carson Yates stepped up to the plate in the top of the ninth with the game tied.
When he saw the 2-2 breaking ball hang over the plate, the sophomore center fielder launched it over the 30-foot wall in left field to give the Bruins the lead. Behind Yates’ go-ahead home run, No. 2 seed UCLA baseball (40-23, 19-11 Pac-12) avoided elimination by defeating No. 3 seed Florida State (34-25, 15-15 ACC) by a score of 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. The win came two days after the Seminoles opened the NCAA Auburn Regional by defeating the Bruins, but it was the blue and gold who eliminated the Seminoles.
The Bruins sent redshirt sophomore Kelly Austin to the mound, and the right-hander started the game with five shutout innings while allowing five hits. Austin got into trouble in the fourth inning after two review calls went the Seminoles’ way, but he was able to get out of the jam.
Florida State tallied the first run of the ballgame after right fielder Jaime Ferrer launched a solo home run over the left field wall.
However, it didn’t take UCLA long to respond, as sophomore third baseman Kyle Karros smacked the first pitch of the seventh inning over the left field wall to tie the game at one. Shortstop Cody Schrier stepped to the plate with two outs and two runners in scoring position, but the freshman could not come through and grounded out to end the inning.
The seventh inning marked the end of Jonah Scolaro’s afternoon for Florida State. The left-hander notched a career-high nine strikeouts while allowing one run on five hits.
The Bruins threatened again in the eighth inning with runners on first and third, but sophomore designated hitter Daylen Reyes flew out to center field to end the inning and keep the game tied at one.
Freshman Alonzo Tredwell took the mound and threw two shutout innings to secure the victory for the Bruins. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out three en route to his fourth win of the season.
UCLA must now beat Auburn twice to advance to Super Regionals, with game one taking place at 4 p.m Sunday.
