On a night, when their bats struggled to get going, the Bruins relied on alternative methods to win.

With free passes, good defense and excellent pitching, top-ranked UCLA proved why it is the best team in the nation even when it isn’t blasting home runs.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (26-2, 12-0 Big Ten) defeated UC Irvine (11-17, 3-6 Big West) 9-1 at Anteater Ballpark – coach John Savage’s old home stadium – on Tuesday night, a second victory over their Southern California rivals this season. The Bruins have now won 20 games in a row. This extends the longest active winning streak in Division1, and are two games shy of tying the longest streak in program history set in 2010.

UCLA opened with an immediate lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first. The lineup managed just one single in the inning but drew four free passes, scoring on a hit batter, a groundout and a wild pitch.

Despite scoring nine runs, the Bruins only had one extra-base hit – a double by junior third baseman Roman Martin – and left 14 runners on base. They accumulated 10 singles, eight walks and three hit-by-pitches on the day while churning through eight Anteater hurlers.

“Being able to stack innings like that,” Martin said. “Put up ones, put up ones, and just keep on winning innings like we did today. I think it’s huge. It’s just to wear down the team, really.”

Freshman right-hander Angel Cervantes took the bump for the seventh time this season, striking out two in two innings. He posted his third scoreless outing this season despite giving up three hits and a walk during his short outing.

Both Cervantes and his successor, sophomore right-hander CJ Bott, were helped by defensive plays that prevented UCI from crossing home plate.

With one out in the first inning, Cervantes allowed a single up the middle that brought UCI right fielder Frankie Carney around first base, giving junior center fielder Will Gasparino an opportunity to force him into a rundown after delivering a perfect throw to prevent Carney’s safe return to first base. Cervantes would allow two more hits that inning, but no runs.

After Bott allowed a one-out double down the left field line and a second hit in the same spot for a run. This time, junior left fielder Dean West grabbed the ball and delivered a perfect outfield assist to second base, nailing the runner and preventing UCI from continuing its rally. West also made a diving catch to end the inning.

“We have one of the best defenses in the country, both infield and in the outfield,” said redshirt junior left-hander Chris Grothues. “Knowing that you have a really good defense behind you, it kind of makes pitching a little bit easier. You don’t have to worry about striking everyone out.”

Following Cervantes and Bott, the remaining Bruin hurlers dominated the Anteaters.

Right-handers junior Jake Swenson, freshmen Zach Strickland and Elai Iwanaga, as well as Grothues, combined for six scoreless innings, striking out nine Anteaters and allowing just a single baserunner.

“Angel Cervantes is 18,” Savage said after UCLA’s matchup against UCI on March 10. “Zach (Strickland) is 19. There are not a lot of freshmen that are in rotations, that are in the middle of the lineup. I think they are big, big parts of this team. They have some weapons. They can strike you out.”

Grothues allowed runs in his first two appearances out of the bullpen but has since rebounded with seven consecutive scoreless outings.

Tuesday was his first multi-inning appearance of the season after making seven such outings last season. He excelled, striking out five consecutive batters before his final opponent finally made contact – a weak groundout back to Grothues.

“Honestly, I felt really good out there,” Grothues said. “I just felt comfortable out there. And that’s something I’ve been trying to just get to, get back to myself like last year, just feeling comfortable on the mound.”

UCLA’s offense finally broke the game open in the seventh, tallying four runs that took the game from a possible save situation to a more comfortable margin. Four ofits first five batters reached base safely before junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky poked a single past the opposing shortstop, scoring two runs and giving the Bruins their only run-scoring hit of the day.

With a win at Anteater Ballpark, the Bruins have now broken a streak of five consecutive losses at the venue dating back to 2021. After their victory over the Anteaters 8-5 in the regional final of the NCAA tournament last season, they have now defeated their UC rivals by a combined 20-2 over the course of their two matchups this season.

UCLA looks forward to taking on crosstown rival No. 12 USC this weekend in a three-game weekend series at Jackie Robinson Stadium. This will be the first time the Bruins face a ranked opponent since their final match of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series on March 1, where they defeated No. 4 Mississippi State in extra innings.