UCLA sweeps St. John’s in three-game season-opening weekend

The Bruins’ starting pitching has yet to give up an earned run.

No. 5 UCLA baseball (3-0) completed the series sweep of St. John’s (0-3) with an 11-1 victory on a Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. In his first appearance for the Bruins, freshman right-hander Jesse Bergin picked up where redshirt junior right-hander Jack Ralston and sophomore right-hander Zach Pettway left off – he went 5 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts to maintain the starting rotation’s 0.00 ERA.

“I think for his first initial freshman debut it was pretty good,” said coach John Savage. “When you strike out nine and walk one, get into the sixth inning, I think anybody would take that.” Savage said.

Bergin was able to retire the first six batters he faced, striking out four straight batters during that stretch. He also struck out at least one batter in every inning he pitched on Sunday.

“I was nervous and anxious at first,” Bergin said. “But after the first inning, I got pretty comfortable and had the guys behind me and it just got easy.”

With one out in the top of the third, a throwing error by sophomore shortstop Kevin Kendall gave the Red Storm their first base runner. The runner stole second and scored on an RBI double by shortstop Rudy Aguilar. Bergin struck out the next batter on a curveball, and ended the inning with a pop fly to right field.

“It’s easy to do well when things are going right, but the challenging part is when things aren’t going right,” Bergin said. “I just said, whatever, no big deal, and (got) right back to it and just (kept) attacking.”

The offense responded by matching St. John’s’ single run later that inning via a two-out RBI single up the middle by junior first baseman Michael Toglia. The very next inning, senior designated hitter Jake Pries was hit by a pitch and junior third baseman Ryan Kreidler moved him over to third on a double.

The next inning, the bottom of the order started a rally that gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell’s single would score Pries, and junior catcher Will McInerny’s sacrifice fly knocked in Kreidler. Another run in the fifth and UCLA’s seven-run seventh inning – capped off by a two-run homer by junior second baseman Chase Strumpf – extended the lead to 10.

“The more balanced we are the better we’ll be,” Pries said. “We have guys off the bench who are just as talented as any guy up front and the way to the back, so we’re pretty widespread with talent.”

Pries got his second straight start at designated hitter after coming in as a pinch hitter for Friday night’s win. He went 4-for-6 with two RBI and three walks over the course of the series.

“We’re looking to have tough outs one through nine,” said Savage. “I think we did a pretty good job of you know, having the next man up and guys were ready to play (and) ready to hit.”

The undefeated Bruins will host Loyola Marymount on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Women’s basketball bests California 80-74 with strong scoring drives

Japreece Dean handed out high-fives during timeouts.

“I think (the senior guard) was the key,” said coach Cori Close. “She sets the tone for us.”

UCLA women’s basketball (16-10, 9-5 Pac-12) defeated California (14-11, 5-9) 80-74 on Sunday with a career-high 28 points, four 3-pointers, seven assists and a lone turnover from Dean.

“It’s an incredible stat line, but I don’t think that was her best thing,” Close said. “I thought it was how she kept us emotionally in it. … Her leadership – that was the best part about her game.”

Dean started her night with two consecutive 3s, but the Golden Bears took a 22-19 lead going into the second quarter with the help of eight of the Pac-12’s second-best scorer Kristine Anigwe’s team-high 27 points.

“(Anigwe) is really good,” Close said. “I want to give credit to (Cal’s) entire team for the way they get the ball to her. That’s not easy to do, especially (with) the way we were pressuring (their) guards.”

UCLA scored 20 of its 43 first-half points off 11 Cal turnovers, eight of which came off steals.

“(The deflections and steals) helped huge,” Close said. “We had so many empty possessions after we turned Stanford over (Friday), and today, when we had those deflections or we turned them over – especially in the first half – we were able to capitalize.”

Sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere – who is second in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds with 3.9 per game – followed up a missed 3-pointer with a putback layup four minutes into the second quarter, sparking a 12-0 run.

“Rebounding is always important to us. It’s something we pride ourselves on,” Onyenwere said. “Me and (redshirt senior forward Lajahna Drummer) are kind of a one-two punch in rebounding.”

Onyenwere and Drummer turned their six combined offensive rebounds into 13 points.

But the two went scoreless in the third quarter as the Golden Bears outscored the Bruins by nine, holding UCLA scoreless in the final two and a half minutes to trim the Bruin lead to 58-57.

Anigwe’s 22nd and 23rd points of the night came on a layup in the opening seconds of the final frame to give Cal its first lead since two minutes into the second period.

“I didn’t think we came out as aggressive in our ball pressure (in the second half),” Close said. “The first timeout I called, I said ‘C+’ in ball pressure. … We had to make their guards think about the bounce and where they wanted to find Anigwe.”

The lead would switch hands twice in the fourth quarter until Dean dished her seventh assist of the game to Onyenwere for a go-ahead 3-pointer, putting the Bruins ahead 66-65. The two combined for 17 points in the final period to help UCLA hang on.

“A lot of it was focus,” said senior guard Kennedy Burke. “It was staying together and staying poised not to panic and we showed that today and it showed on the court.”

The Bruins will travel to face a pair of top-10 opponents in No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Oregon State on Feb. 22 and Feb. 24.

Swim and dive comes up short against USC in final meet before championships

The Bruins traveled across town this weekend for a meeting with the Trojans.

No. 25 UCLA swim and dive (8-3, 4-3 Pac-12), however, was bested by its hometown rival No. 15 USC (7-2, 5-2), losing 181-117.

“We absolutely had some fantastic swims this weekend,” said coach Cyndi Gallagher. “Those swims came from a place of heart, not rest.”

Senior Sandra Soe earned two wins in her distance events, competing for only the second time this season in the mile.

“Since I swam it in December, training has been really tough and good,” Soe said. “So having those good training partners is key.”

Soe was close to beating UCLA’s school record with a time of 16 minutes, 2.88 seconds. Her time qualified her for an NCAA B Cut and was less than three seconds off the school standard.

Soe noted that while the team had some of its best times this season, she also knows there is still work to be done before the Pac-12 championships.

“We need to keep our momentum and rest a little bit this week,” Soe said. “We need to make sure we are focusing on the little details before the championship.”

Freshman Claire Grover was UCLA’s top finisher in the 100-yard breaststroke, falling just behind USC’s Riley Scott.

“When we do certain exercises, I think about how this will affect my kick and pulldown,” Grover said. “I do a lot of thinking before practicing.”

Grover said winning the last relay gave the team momentum going into the Pac-12 championships.

“Because of that meet, we feel really amped up for the championships,” Grover said.

Junior Amy Okada also beat her previous season-best time in the 200 butterfly by about three seconds.

Senior diver Eloise Belanger had a strong outing against the Trojans, winning both the 1-meter and the 3-meter.

Belanger’s score in the 3-meter topped that of USC’s Madison Witt by a 46.80 margin, beating her 346.80 to 300.00.

For Belanger, the 1-meter championship was a bit closer. Belanger and her opponent, Naomi Gowlett, went into their final dive only separated by less than a point.

For both the Trojans and Bruins, the swimming teams only competed Friday, whereas the diving teams competed on both Friday and Saturday.

This was both teams’ last dual meet before the Pac-12 championships.

“For the championships, it’s all a mental game,” Gallagher said. “We’re focusing on the details and our team because we know the best is yet to come.”

UCLA will travel to Federal Way, Washington, on Feb. 27 to compete in the Pac-12 championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

Track and field sees improvement in Seattle, but falls short of qualifying marks

The Bruins couldn’t stave off the competition.

UCLA track and field sent six athletes to compete in the distance medley relay and pole vault at the Last Chance College Elite Meet on Friday in Seattle. The DMR crew fell out of the qualifying top 12 and the pole vaulters failed to notch top-16 qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

“We were hoping to qualify for nationals,” said senior Cameron Stone. “But it was a season’s best, so we can’t be too down on ourselves.”

The DMR consisted of Stone, juniors Carter Blunt and Riley Kelly, and redshirt junior Arturo Sotomayor, and finished fourth with a time of 9 minutes, 34.63 seconds – the Bruins’ best time in the event since 2016.

The DMR crew trimmed ten seconds off their prior time, set at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge in New York on Jan 25.

“Overall it was a great performance from all of us,” Sotomayor said. “We put ourselves in it as much as we could.”

Sotomayor opened with the 1200-meter leg and Blunt was the anchor in the 1600-meter leg in the DMR at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge, but the two switched roles on Friday.

The change resulted in a personal-best four-minute flat mile for Sotomayor, which he said was a result of confidence gained from his 4:06.36 mile at the Husky Classic on Feb 8.

“Personally, I wanted to give it my best effort,” Sotomayor said. “I honestly didn’t expect to (run a four-minute mile) but it felt very smooth. I did come off a pretty good race at (the Husky Classic) which helped propel me to a strong finish (Friday) night.”

Sophomore Tate Curran and redshirt senior Elleyse Garrett of the pole vaulting squad entered the meet looking to improve on their 21st and 22nd rankings a week ago.

Curran and Garrett failed to gain any traction in the top 16, but they will have another opportunity at Friday’s MPSF Indoor Championships to join qualifying pole vaulter freshman Sondre Guttormsen at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Despite this week’s finishes, both the men’s and women’s squads cracked the top 25 of the latest NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field National Rating Index, placing 23rd and 25th, respectively.

“The national poll (is a result of) of the weekend we had (at the Don Kirby Invitational and Husky Classic),” said distance coach Devin Elizondo. “It feels really good to get that (national) support.”

Track and field rely on last two meets to qualify for NCAA indoor championships

The Bruins are running out of time.

UCLA track and field will send six athletes to compete in two events at the Last Chance College Elite Meet in Seattle on Friday. UCLA has two meets left to qualify for the NCAA indoor championships to improve its ninth-place standing in the distance medley relay.

Distance runners junior Carter Blunt, junior Riley Kelly and redshirt junior Arturo Sotomayor, and senior transfer sprinter Cameron Stone will be vying for a top-12 qualifying mark in the DMR.

Stone – running the 400-meter leg – said the DMR crew will seek to improve on its time of 9 minutes, 44.61 seconds set at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge in New York.

“It was some people’s first meets and whatnot and (we needed to) get the rust off,” Stone said. “I’m sure everybody is in a lot better shape and (is more) race ready than we were about three weeks ago in New York. We’ll drop a considerable amount of time, so I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of pressure on us.”

Stone is the only member of the DMR quartet to have experience at the indoor championships, participating in the 400-meter leg and claiming a third-place finish for Oregon last season.

Men’s distance coach Devin Elizondo said the recent individual performances of the DMR quartet leave him hopeful for Friday.

“(Stone) kind of has that championship pedigree that we’re looking for and enjoy,” Elizondo said. “Having him in the middle gives you a powerful punch there. If he can do what he does (regularly), that just helps the whole team.”

Kelly ­­– running the 800-meter leg ­– posted a personal record in the indoor 800-meter with a time of 1:49.99 at the Husky Classic on Feb. 8, good for a fourth-place finish. Sotomayor and Blunt set season-best times in the mile with times of 4:06.36 and 4:07.15, respectively.

Sotomayor opened with the 1200-meter leg and Blunt was the anchor in the 1600-meter leg in the DMR at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. The two will be switching roles Friday.

On the outside looking in are sophomore Tate Curran and redshirt senior Elleyse Garrett of the pole vaulting squad. Curran and Garrett are sitting at 20th and 21st respectively and both need to jump a few extra inches to qualify for the top 16.

Curran said the two walking away with top-16 marks Friday – joining freshman Sondre Guttormsen – is a goal for the pole vaulting crew and would be a fulfilling end to Garrett’s career.

“It would be absolutely amazing for (Garrett and I to end the weekend in the top-16),” Curran said. “I want nothing else more in the world than for (Garrett) to make it. She’s a fifth-year senior. She’s a walk-on at UCLA. Making it to nationals would just be the coolest thing (for her.) … To be able to go with two other vaulter teammates would be something that I don’t think a lot of people do.”

Curran’s personal record of 5.33 meters at the Don Kirby Collegiate Elite Invitational on Feb. 8 left him roughly 3 1/2 inches short of tying the 16th best pole vaulter in the NCAA.

Curran said meeting that mark is within touching distance.

“I’ve seen it too many times,” Curran said. “Right under me, but I’ve barely knocked the bar off. So, it’s there. I know it’s there.”

Both the men’s and women’s squads cracked the top-25 of the latest NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field National Rating Index, placing 23rd and 25th, respectively.

“The national poll (is a result of) of the weekend we had (at the Don Kirby Invitational and Husky Classic),” Elizondo said. “It feels really good to get that (national) support.”

Men’s volleyball succumbs to second straight-set loss against Long Beach State

The Bruins were unable to avenge their 2018 NCAA championship defeat for the second time this season.

No. 4 UCLA men’s volleyball (10-4) fell 3-0 to No. 1 Long Beach State (13-0) on Saturday night in Long Beach, California. The match marked the Bruins’ second straight-set loss of the season to the 49ers.

UCLA recorded 18 service errors and allowed a season-high 12 aces from the opponent. The Bruins also posted two blocks and hit for .260, compared to the 49ers’ six blocks and .404 hitting percentage.

Junior middle blocker Daenan Gyimah, who recorded a team-high nine kills, said the Bruins’ unforced errors and lack of offensive aggression led to the loss.

“We didn’t put that much pressure on (Long Beach State) anywhere,” Gyimah said. “We lost the serving-passing game and we were attacking well, but we were just making too many unforced errors.”

UCLA began the match in a 5-1 offense with redshirt junior opposite Brandon Rattray returning to the starting lineup, but switched to a 6-2 offense in the third set. Rattray recorded eight kills and hit for .111 in his second match back from injury, but he said the Bruins lacked offensive rhythm.

“As the match progressed, we kind of just started losing (momentum) slowly, the energy went down, and they just outplayed us,” Rattray said. “We weren’t clicking as well as we usually do just because of not practicing together.”

Coach John Speraw said serving and passing errors, alongside team injuries, were key reasons for the loss.

“We didn’t pass the ball very well and I don’t think we put enough service pressure on them, and they’re a very good serve-pass team. We just didn’t match that,” Speraw said. “We’ve got to get healthy and we’ve got to serve and pass better.”

The match marked UCLA’s second consecutive loss after it fell to No. 6 UC Santa Barbara in five sets Wednesday.

Gyimah, however, said losing matches could be a good learning experience for UCLA.

“It’s always good to lose a couple matches,” Gyimah said. “We’re gonna learn from them and hopefully we just end up back here in May.”

Speraw said the Bruins will continue to work on improving specific weaknesses that have been evident in their last two matches.

“I think any time you play a great team, they kind of highlight areas that you need to improve and the distance that you’re going to need to travel in those improvements,” Speraw said. “Obviously they highlighted where we need to get some work done.”

UCLA will return to MPSF play against Concordia University Irvine on Wednesday.