The UCLA baseball team overcame an eight-run deficit in the final three innings to defeat Michigan State, 13-11, and complete a three-game sweep on May 3 at Jeff Ishbia Field.
With this win, the Bruins improved their record to 43-4 overall and 24-0 in Big Ten Conference play. The victory also clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title for UCLA, marking their second consecutive regular-season crown since joining the conference.
The comeback was UCLA’s largest since rallying from nine runs down against Oregon State during the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament. Trailing by eight after six innings, UCLA scored six runs in the seventh inning through a combination of walks, groundouts, and timely hits. Payton Brennan and Will Gasparino each contributed key hits that helped close the gap.
In the eighth inning, Dean West’s triple set up another scoring surge that tied the game at 11-11. Roch Cholowsky reached on an error to bring home one run before Roman Martin doubled to pull within one. Brennan’s sacrifice fly then leveled the score.
UCLA took control in the ninth with singles from Aiden Aguayo and West before Cholowsky drove in what proved to be the winning run. Mulivai Levu added an insurance run with a base hit up the middle. Easton Hawk pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the weekend series and twelfth of the season.
Levu led all hitters with three hits—including his fourteenth home run—and three runs batted in. Several other Bruins contributed offensively as well as defensively throughout different stages of play.
Michigan State built its early lead behind Parker Picot’s two home runs but could not hold off UCLA’s late surge. Zach Strickland earned his fifth win while Hawk closed out another successful series for UCLA.
Looking ahead, UCLA will travel to Loyola Marymount for a midweek contest scheduled for Tuesday.
