MLB Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver once said, “The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals and three-run homers.”

UCLA baseball (15-4, 4-1 Big Ten) embodied the philosophy Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium when redshirt senior right fielder AJ Salgado slugged a pair of three-run long balls to score six of its 11 runs while the pitching staff limited Nebraska (7-10, 1-4) to three. Salgado’s first career multi-homer game clinched the series for the Bruins, who have a chance at their second sweep of the season Sunday.

“You don’t see a lot of three-run homers,” said coach John Savage. “When you do, it’s a big difference in that game. That’s what Earl (Weaver) was alluding to. And we got two of them from the same guy.”

Nebraska got on the scoreboard in the top of the first when designated hitter Tyler Stone doubled into the left-center gap – scoring right fielder Max Buettenback, who had been hit by pitch earlier in the inning.

Junior right-hander Michael Barnett – who made his first start of the season Saturday – settled down after the early run, delivering five innings of one-run ball while allowing just five hits and walking none.

“That’s what we preach in our program,” Barnett said. ”Getting two (strikes) out of three (pitches), getting ahead, throwing strikes. I know myself as a pitcher. I know where my strengths are – and that’s certainly where they are.”

Barnett also struck out seven Cornhuskers – his most in a single collegiate game – and racked up his fifth win, the third-most in the NCAA this season.

“Barnett led the way,” Savage said. “His command, his stuff and his presence were really good. He made big pitches when he had to.”

Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu reached on a fielding error by Husker second baseman Devin Nunez, and sophomore designated hitter Blake Balsz drew a two-out, four-pitch walk to set the stage for Salgado in the bottom of the fourth.

Nebraska right-hander Ty Horn opened the count 2-0 for six straight misses, prompting a coach to come out and talk with the Saturday starter.

Horn’s next delivery drifted over the middle of the plate, and Salgado sent it 419 feet to right center – giving the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

“I haven’t been hitting too much lately,” said Salgado, who entered Saturday with a .228 batting average. “My teammates have been picking me up – so it feels good to be on the other side.”

Sophomore catcher Cashel Dugger began the fifth with a 412-foot blast off the hitting facility in right field before Salgado mashed his second three-run blast of the contest – a shot to dead center off the batter’s eye.

Through just 18 games, Salgado has matched the three home runs and 20 RBIs he put up in 48 games last season.

UCLA will play Nebraska on Sunday in the series finale, looking to add on to its 11-2 home record this season.

“You got to take care of your own place,” Savage said. “Any good team, any championship team does that. So it was good to get a couple wins, and hopefully we’ll come out tomorrow and play well.”

The Bruins will send sophomore right-hander Landon Stump to the hill, with Husker left-hander Jackson Brockett serving as his counterpart. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.