A rare collapse by the bullpen let a road sweep slip away from the Bruins.
No. 1 UCLA baseball (37-8, 16-5 Pac-12) took the first two games of the series Friday and Saturday at No. 22 Arizona State (33-12, 14-10) by scores of 3-2 and 18-3, respectively, but was unable to complete the sweep after losing 8-7 Sunday. The Bruins outscored the Sun Devils 28-13 over the weekend – their most runs scored in a series this season – and have now won all 11 of their series.
The series opener made for a pitcher’s duel, as both starters lasted seven-plus innings. Junior right-hander Ryan Garcia made his third consecutive Friday start and picked up where he left off after throwing a complete game shutout with 14 strikeouts against Utah on April 26.
On Friday, Garcia allowed one run and five hits through seven innings while striking out eight batters. The junior gave up a single and walk to open the eighth before being replaced by sophomore right-hander Holden Powell.
The Sun Devils brought home a run off a sac-fly – for which Garcia was held responsible – to cut into UCLA’s lead. Powell would not allow a hit over his two innings of work and picked up four strikeouts for a six-out save.
The Bruins were first to get on the board with an RBI infield single by sophomore shortstop Kevin Kendall in the second. After the Sun Devils tied the game at one in the fourth, freshman catcher Noah Cardenas gave the Bruins the lead in the seventh with an RBI infield single of his own. Junior left fielder Jack Stronach cashed in the third run with a sac-fly to center field in the following frame.
The Bruins clinched the series Saturday with an 18-run outburst off 22 hits – both season highs. They scored in every inning except the ninth and hit seven home runs – a program record that has not been matched since at least 1998.
Cardenas led the way with a team-high four runs and a five-for-five performance, including a solo home run, triple and three singles. He said he lost track of how many home runs were hit as the game went on.
“A lot of guys took really good swings and seven home runs happened,” Cardenas said. “I didn’t even know until the end of the game when someone told me we hit seven home runs. It was pretty fun to be a part of.”
The Bruins brought home one run in each of the first three innings as junior third baseman Ryan Kreidler hit a sac-fly, Cardenas homered and junior first baseman Michael Toglia hit an RBI single.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, junior second baseman Chase Strumpf launched the ball over the wall at left-center for a grand slam to increase the UCLA advantage to 7-0.
The offense again scored a single run per three consecutive innings with a solo home run by senior designated hitter Jake Pries, an RBI single by sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell and another solo shot by Pries.
The Bruins then put up the most runs in a single inning of theirs this year.
Toglia started the rally with a three-run home run, senior third baseman Jake Hirabayashi hit a pinch-hit two-run home run and Mitchell launched a three-run home run of his own to conclude an eight-run eighth.
The eight runs scored that inning were more than the Bruins have put up in each of 28 full games this season.
While the offense had its most productive day of the year, redshirt junior right-hander Jack Ralston limited the Sun Devils to three hits across seven innings while striking out seven. Ralston said he pitched like the game was tied despite holding a double-digit lead.
“I just try to throw each pitch like it’s a 0-0 game,” Ralston said. “I don’t really try to make too much about (the score).”
The Bruins dropped a back-and-forth series finale after leading 7-5 in the eighth. It was only their second loss over their last 18 games.
Junior right-hander Kyle Mora started the eighth by letting up a solo home run and a single before being replaced by Powell. A sac-fly scored the tying run and an RBI single brought home the game-winning run for the Sun Devils, marking Powell’s first earned run in his last 18 appearances.
Freshman right-hander Jesse Bergin started the game and lasted five innings, allowing four runs and striking out six. All his earned runs came on one pitch, as center fielder Hunter Bishop hit a grand slam with no outs in the first.
Ralston said the Bruins’ pitching woes Sunday resulted from a few mistakes made against the Sun Devils.
“I think it just came down to a couple mistakes,” Ralston said. “It’s going to happen, it’s baseball. I’m not too worried about it.”
The Bruins answered by scoring seven straight runs and were led by three-hit games from Strumpf and Cardenas, who boosted his batting average from .355 to .412 on the weekend.
The Bruins return to Jackie Robinson Stadium to host Long Beach State on Tuesday.