Leaving home can be a difficult step to take.

But capping off an undefeated nine-game homestand likely gives you all the confidence you need before packing your bags.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (22-2, 9-0 Big Ten) defeated Loyola Marymount (7-20, 0-3 WCC) by a score of 6-2 Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

UCLA Athletics did not provide interview availability with either Savage or any of the team’s players after the game.

Freshman right-hander Angel Cervantes made the start for the Bruins and gave up two quick hits to begin the game. Yet, he immediately redeemed himself with three straight strikeouts to close out the frame – including one against first baseman Zach Wadas, who leads the Lions with five home runs this season.

Cervantes posted a season-high four total strikeouts on the night before being pulled after just 1.2 innings, finishing his outing giving up one earned run.

The Bruins’ offensive production was led by junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who tied a season-high of his own with three hits. The 2025 D1 Baseball Player of the Year is hitting at a .352 average on the season with 32 total hits and 10 home runs.

Cholowsky got the action started with a double to left center field at the bottom of the first, which allowed junior left fielder Dean West to advance to third. West scored and Cholowsky reached third after an LMU throwing error, and a groundout by junior third baseman Roman Martin allowed Cholowsky to put UCLA up by two.

And while coach John Savage’s squad enjoyed two run-rule victories in their weekend series against Maryland, not every game can end with a 10-run margin of victory.

LMU answered back immediately in the second frame with a homer by center fielder Cooper Whitton, followed by a single from first baseman Win Gurney in the third that allowed the Lions to tie up the score at two apiece.

But that was all the scoring LMU would produce in the midweek matchup. And as if facing a team riding a 15-game win streak would not be difficult enough, it was self-inflicted errors that added to the damage.

The most notable error came in the bottom of the third, when junior center fielder Will Gasparino sent an infield fly to left field. LMU’s shortstop Jaxson Wall appeared to locate the ball in the air and sprinted to catch it, but quickly threw his arms up in the air in confusion as he struggled to keep his eyes on the ball, which landed a ways away from where he ended up.

The Bruin faithful in the stands erupted as the ball hit the ground and junior first baseman Mulivai Levu came in to score, extending UCLA’s lead.

This costly mistake seemingly shifted the momentum towards UCLA good.

Sophomore catcher Kasen Khansarinia achieved the first hit of his career with a single to center field. Khansarinia made just his third start at the backstop position in his career.

And a solid defensive stand from an eight-man pitching carousel following Cervantes’ outing helped solidify the victory for the Bruins.

Following junior right-hander Jake Swenson’s time on the mound, five pitchers tallied at least two strikeouts each. Senior right-hander Jack O’Connor’s two strikeouts would be his most in a game this season, making 27 relief appearances for the Bruins in 2025 after not playing the previous two seasons with the squad.

UCLA will now pack its bags and look ahead to a three-game weekend series against Iowa (15-8, 3-3), with the opportunity to extend its 9-0 start in conference play.