Friday night’s starting pitchers entered the affair with a combined ERA of 14.77, suggesting spectators may have been in for a slugfest in the three-game series opener.

And while a combined four homers were launched into the night sky, just one came courtesy of a Bruin batter.

Indiana (13-9, 5-2 Big Ten) got the better of UCLA baseball (16-5, 5-2) Friday, defeating it 5-1 at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The victory extended the Hoosiers’ winning streak to six games while ending the Bruins’ run of five in a row and knocking them off first place in the Big Ten standings.

Junior right-hander Cody Delvecchio took the mound and allowed all three Hoosier longballs. The first came on the seventh pitch of his outing: a game-winning two-run homer off the bat of left fielder Devin Taylor, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, in the top of the first.

Indiana center fielder Korbyn Dickerson added a solo shot in the third, and shortstop Tyler Cerny contributed a two-run big fly of his own in the fourth – creating a 5-0 Indiana lead UCLA couldn’t overcome.

“Three pitches really were the difference in the game,” said coach John Savage. “I thought he pitched pretty well after that damage. They’re (the Hoosiers) a very good offensive team. … Probably the best offensive team we’ve played.”

Delvecchio settled in late, however – retiring the side in order in both the fifth and sixth before Savage pulled his Friday night starter with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. While the right-hander got tagged with his third loss of the season, his 6.1 innings pitched against the Hoosiers marked the longest Bruin start of 2025.

Despite the right-hander’s early-season struggles, Savage’s continued confidence in him as the Friday night starter is something Delvecchio said he’s grateful for.

“I love that guy to death,” Delvecchio said. “I know he loves me, and I just want to compete for him each Friday. I feel like, for me, I have yet to show what I can do out there, but I know it’s coming. So I just got to stick to it.”

UCLA’s bullpen kept Indiana off the board. Redshirt junior left-hander Ian May allowed two hits but pitched a scoreless 1.1 frames with two strikeouts before junior right-hander Jack O’Connor tossed a perfect 1.1 innings with two punchouts of his own.

In his first season pitching for UCLA, O’Connor has emerged as one of Savage’s most dependable middle relief options – posting a 2.45 ERA across 11 innings and nine relief appearances.

“It’s been awesome,” O’Connor said. “I just really wanted to get out and pitch – that’s been my one goal the last two years. … The dream’s come true.”

The top four batters in the Bruins’ lineup combined to go 1-for-15 – the lone hit coming in the bottom of the sixth from sophomore first baseman and three-hole hitter Mulivai Levu, who slugged his team-leading eighth home run of the season – while UCLA hitters went a combined 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-10 with runners on base.

“It’s a combination of both: It’s (us) not quite ready to capitalize and them (the Hoosiers) making pitches,” Savage said. “But it happens.”

Indiana’s starting pitcher and left-hander Ryan Kraft had the best outing of his season, tossing 4.1 shutout frames while allowing just five baserunners before right-hander Cole Gilley handled the final 4.2 innings and allowed just one other hit besides Levu’s long ball.

UCLA will have an opportunity to even the series Saturday – as it has done twice already this season after dropping a weekend series opener – when it sends junior right-hander Michael Barnett to square off against Indiana right-hander and Pasadena local Ben Grable.

“It’s about making pitches – it’s about good counts,” Savage said. “Mike will be ready to pitch tomorrow.”