The Bruins run-ruled the Dirtbags in seven innings at Jackie Robinson Stadium about a month ago.

But in their rematch Tuesday at Blair Field in Long Beach, California, UCLA’s offense scored its fewest runs since April 18.

No. 18 UCLA baseball (34-14, 17-7 Big Ten) went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in its 4-2 defeat to Long Beach State (19-27, 12-15 Big West). While the Bruins reached base 13 times in their final midweek matchup of the season, they went just 1-for-13 with runners on and left 10 on base.

With two outs in the first frame, Long Beach designated hitter Armando Briseno lined a single into right center, scoring center fielder Alex Champagne from second to take an early 1-0 lead.

The run would be the only one allowed by Bruin freshman right-hander CJ Bott, who tossed 2.1 innings in his second start of the season.

Bott received no offensive support during his appearance, as Dirtbags’ left-hander Van Larson retired his first nine Bruins in order.

Also making his second start of 2025, the southpaw threw 95 pitches in 6.2 innings – his longest outing of the season by 44 pitches – allowing just two runs.

The Bruins finally got to Larson in the fourth. Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu tripled to center, scoring sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky from first to tie the game 1-1.

However, the Bruins would leave Levu stranded just 90 feet away from home plate.

The Dirtbags jumped on Josh Alger to start the bottom of the fifth, leading coach John Savage to pull the redshirt junior right-hander with runners on first and second and nobody out.

Graduate student left-hander Ryan Rissas struggled in his short relief appearance, gifting two free passes and plunking a batter across 0.2 innings.

Sophomore Cal Randall eventually relieved the southpaw to finish the inning, coaxing a bases-loaded groundout to limit the Dirtbags to a 3-1 lead.

“I wasn’t going to let my teammates down,” Randall said. “Everyone was kind of behind me, getting after it, screaming, telling me to make the pitch. So I dug in and made the pitch.”

After a difficult outing Sunday against USC, where he plunked two batters and allowed two earned runs in just 0.1 frames, Randall kept UCLA within striking distance with four innings remaining Tuesday.

However, the offense was unable to bring the Bruins back into the contest.

In the seventh, eighth and ninth frames, the Bruins reached safely nine times but only scored a single run, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Redshirt freshman pinch-hitter Aidan Espinoza brought in the lone run when he was plunked in the seventh.

While Espinoza hasn’t started a game since April 6, he has reached base safely in his last four pinch-hit appearances, amassing three RBIs.

“The mentality for me going into it is playing my role and knowing how to play my role,” Espinoza said. “I tell myself every single time I come up that I’m the greatest pinch hitter in the NCAA. And so far, it’s been working.”

Sophomore right-hander Justin Lee was removed from the game in the eighth after 1.2 innings of work with a presumed injury. Lee has allowed just one run in five innings since pitching in his last save opportunity April 25.

The Bruins have now lost three in a row for the first time this season with only six games remaining on the schedule, all part of their Big Ten slate.

“We’ll get back after it,” Randall said. “We’ll lock in. We got a week ahead of us, so we’re going to have to turn it around and just figure it out.”