No. 1 UCLA baseball remained undefeated within Big Ten Conference play after sweeping Rutgers with a 9-2 outing in the finale at Bainton Field in Piscataway, N.J. on Sunday.
So far this season, the Bruins have won all 18 of their conference games and have a 33-2 overall record while pushing their program-best winning streak to 27 games. Their first game against Rutgers lasted 14 innings with a record-tying pitching performance, but the Bruins second game and finale both ended in nine innings.
Quick hits
UCLA got on the board in the top of the second with two slashes at Rutgers’ pitches leading to the Bruins first base runner crossing home plate.
Explosive fourth
The Bruins had their most explosive inning of the game in the top of the fourth. UCLA took advantage of the Scarlet Knights two errors with one of the errors leading to two runs. When the dust settled from the Bruins base runners sprinting around the diamond UCLA was up 5-0.
Adding on in the fifth
The top of the fifth started off with junior infielder Roman Martin sending a homer to right center. UCLA’s redshirt junior outfielder Payton Brennan scored the second run of the inning from second base, but the Bruins left two of their runners on base as their half of the inning concluded.
Rutgers turn
The Scarlet Knights got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh with a hit and a sacrificial fly leading to two runs off of redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Chris Grothues throws. UCLA ended up using five pitchers and they gave up two hits over the entirety of the game.
No doubt
UCLA scored a run off of a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth and three hits in the top of the ninth led to the Bruins final score of the series. The Bruins’ batters struck 14 of Rutgers’ pitches for hits and made it home nine times.
The Bruins will return home to play UC Santa Barbara at Jackie Robinson Stadium for their midweek game on Tuesday with an anticipated start time of 7 p.m. PT.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Four runs in the fourth inning leads to UCLA sweeping Rutgers
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
