Coach John Savage had one thing to say following Friday’s win.

“We’re not dead yet.”

With an NCAA tournament bid potentially at stake, UCLA baseball (26-19-1, 11-12-1 Pac-12) defeated No. 15 Oregon State (34-15, 16-12) by a score of 12-5 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday. The Bruins took a first-inning lead and never looked back, scoring in each of the first three frames and doubling their lead in the seventh with six more runs.

Junior right-hander Jake Brooks took the mound for the Bruins, ending the night with five earned runs through 5.2 innings after starting the game with three hitless innings and narrowly missing a quality start. Brooks’ night ended with an injury scare after rolling his ankle on the on-deck circle, but he was able to walk off the mound without assistance.

Savage said his starter pitched with confidence and seemed to avoid serious injury.

“Brooks pitched with some confidence tonight,” Savage said. “We needed a veteran start, and he gave us a veteran start.”

Oregon State right-hander Trent Sellers struggled with command early, issuing two walks and hitting two batters to extend UCLA’s first and second inning rallies. The three-inning scoring streak was capped off with freshman outfielder Jarrod Hocking’s second homer in as many games to give the Bruins an early 4-0 lead.

Oregon State responded with a three-inning scoring streak of their own in the fourth, fifth and sixth, tallying five runs and reaching base at least three times in each frame. The Bruins countered with two more in the fifth behind a two-run single from senior outfielder/left-hander Josh Hahn on a night in which every spot in the lineup recorded a hit.

UCLA posted a six-spot in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally was not without controversy. Junior outfielder JonJon Vaughns yanked a two-run home run down the right field line that appeared to drift foul but was ruled fair. Beavers across the field put their hands on their heads – both in disbelief of the call and to signal for a review – but the call was upheld.

A few batters later, senior catcher Darius Perry drove in two with a double down the left-field line that also appeared questionably fair and drew further protest from the Oregon State dugout. The Bruins continued to rally with run-scoring singles from sophomore infielder Duce Gourson and first baseman Jack Holman, ending the inning with a seven-run cushion.

Perry said the team’s recent performance reflects what the team is capable of.

“It says a lot about who we are and who Savage wants us to be,” Perry said. “That’s how we want our offense to be, we just want to pass it to each person one at a time. When the whole lineup can contribute, that’s when we’re rolling.”

UCLA improved their record when scoring first to 19-4 and their record when scoring in the first inning to 11-1.

The Bruins’ bullpen shut the door with 3.1 shutout innings and featured the return of senior right-hander Charles Harrison, who returned from a three-week injury stint to post a scoreless seventh.

Savage praised Harrison for his performance and importance to the bullpen.

“We need Harrison,” Savage said. “We need power out of the bullpen. We lost our power in the bullpen when Harrison was out … so it’s nice to see Harrison back in the loop a little bit.”

As the Bruins continue to push for an NCAA tournament berth, Harrison said the team believes tournament dreams are still in reach.

“We’ve got no quit,” Harrison said. “We still believe we have a shot, so we’re not going away any time soon.”