Strikes one and two were breaking balls Roman Martin just looked at.

But the final strike was a ground ball the junior third baseman hit softly to the right side.

The Hornets’ first and second baseman gave chase but fell down like bowling pins.

First came home the tying run. And after second baseman Cameron Sewell’s throw home went wide, No. 1 UCLA baseball (38-3, 21-0 Big Ten) junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky – with both arms raised in the air – scored to walk off Sacramento State (19-24, 5-4 WAC) 6-5 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night.

“(My) first thought was: Game over,” Martin said. “But that ball had some English and kept on going away from the first baseman. Really, I was just trying to run, beat the throw. But after that, just thankful.”

The Bruins entered the ninth frame down two, and, after redshirt senior southpaw Ian May plunked two batters, coach John Savage called on junior right-hander Justin Lee – the team’s failed closer in 2025 – to clean up the mess.

With runners on second and third and just one out, Lee struck out his first hitter and got his second to pop out.

“Lee has turned the corner,” Savage said. “That gave us the momentum to be able to have a chance in the bottom of the ninth.”

Lee, who’s seen his ERA improve from 6.75 in 2025 to 2.03 in 2026, added that his improvement has coincided with a change in mentality.

“(I’m) trying to have fun,” Lee said. “(The past) two years I took it a little too serious and put it on me, and, now, it’s a team thing.”

The junior added that he’s still hoping to hear his name called in the 2026 MLB Draft in July, but, regardless, he knows this season will be his last with much of the 2023 recruiting class.

Freshman pinch hitter Aiden Aguayo led off the ninth with a single before ending up on third after a sacrifice bunt and groundout. And the baton ended up in Martin’s hands after Cholowsky and junior first baseman Mulivai Levu walked.

Savage gave typical Friday night starter junior right-hander Logan Reddemann the night off, instead sending sophomore right-hander Wylan Moss to the mound for Moss’ first start of the season – but 10th of his career.

Moss tossed 4.1 frames and was charged with four runs – three earned.

The coach first went to Chris Grothues, but the redshirt junior southpaw only recorded a single out before getting pulled.

“He needs to get back to his having an edge,” Savage said. “He pitches with his emotions on his sleeve, and I think it works for him. I just haven’t seen that sort of fire (lately), and we need that fire from him.”

And after freshman right-hander Elai Iwanaga allowed a run in his inning of work came May, who Savage said was the difference on the mound.

The southpaw tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, striking out four.

And the coach said May’s unceremonious end was partly his own fault. He told the redshirt senior he wouldn’t pitch the ninth inning before reversing course.

Senior right-hander Michael Barnett will start Saturday, and Savage said he doesn’t expect to operate differently even with Moss – who’s served as Barnett’s piggyback through his 10 starts this season– unavailable.

“Barnett’s kind of been two times through the order, almost to a ‘T’,” Savage said. “There’ll be some guys that have to step up.”

Despite Savage deploying his two most experienced long relievers Friday – and resting his ace for the weekend – the coach was able to preserve high-leverage options such as freshman right-hander Zach Strickland, junior right-hander Cal Randall and sophomore closer Easton Hawk for the rest of the series.