The Waves sent eight pitchers to the mound Tuesday, but they couldn’t subdue the Bruins’ bats.

Scoring double-digit runs for the third straight game – and 12th time this season – No. 14 UCLA baseball (23-5, 10-2 Big 10) defeated Pepperdine (6-22, 2-4 WCC) 13-8 on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. It extended its winning streak to seven games – its longest since stringing together eight victories between March and April 2022.

“It’s a lot of guys having really good quality at-bats,” said coach John Savage. “They’re a connected offense.”

The Bruins have gone from unranked to No. 24 to No. 14 over the course of their win streak and improved to 6-1 in midweek games.

After Pepperdine tied the game at two after two, UCLA put up seven in the bottom of the third for a lead it wouldn’t surrender.

Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu launched his team-leading 10th home run just inside the right field foul pole for the Bruins’ first three runs in the frame before redshirt freshman designated hitter Aidan Espinoza roped a two-RBI double to the right field wall for his first collegiate hit.

“It meant everything,” Espinoza said after making his first start as a Bruin. “Been working on that for a while, just waiting for my turn.”

However, sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the one to get UCLA’s extra-base-hit parade started, launching a two-run shot 406 feet to left center in the first for his ninth of the year.

“They (Cholowsky and Levu) just really benefited from playing last year,” Savage said. “We kind of knew what we potentially had last year, … and guys (are) really coming into their own.”

Cholowsky and Levu’s performance echoed the duos’ showing the last time the Waves and Bruins met, with the former going 2-for-4 with a homer and the latter going 3-for-4 with two long balls April 30.

However, like their last duel, the sophomore infielders were far from alone.

Sophomore left fielder Dean West went 3-for-3 with a double and two walks, while redshirt senior right fielder AJ Salgado, who went 4-for-6 on April 30, going 2-for-4 with a double.

UCLA also stole seven bags, two courtesy of West – its most in a single game since stealing the same amount against Gonzaga on Feb. 18, 2024.

Like they’ve done in their previous two midweek bouts, the Bruins pitched a bullpen game, running out seven arms to the mound. However, the Waves scraped together eight runs on 13 hits, both season highs.

Freshman right-hander CJ Bott gave up four runs across 1.2 innings against Loyola Marymount last week but rebounded, surrendering just one across 1.2 frames and earning his second collegiate win.

Right-handers sophomore Cal Randall and junior Jack O’Connor also performed well, combining for 2.1 scoreless innings.

“We’re all just prepared, and we’re all kind of picking each other up and getting each other better,” Bott said.