The UCLA baseball team extended its winning streak to 20 games after defeating UC Irvine 9-1 on March 31 at Cicerone Field in Irvine, California.
This win brings the Bruins (26-2, 12-0 Big Ten) within two victories of matching their program record of 22 consecutive wins set in 2010. It also marks UCLA’s first road win at UC Irvine since 2019.
Eight out of nine starters recorded hits for UCLA, with Roman Martin, Will Gasparino, and Kasen Khansarinia each notching multiple hits. Roch Cholowsky drove in two runs during a four-run seventh inning, while Dean West scored twice and added a walk and a hit. The Bruins used six pitchers throughout the game. Angel Cervantes (2-0) earned his second win by pitching two scoreless innings as the starter. Chris Grothues struck out five batters over two perfect innings, Zach Strickland retired all six batters he faced, and Elai Iwanaga closed the game with a scoreless ninth inning.
UCLA started strong with three runs in the top of the first inning despite only one hit. Dean West singled to open the game before Roch Cholowsky was hit by a pitch and Mulivai Levu walked to load the bases. Martin was then hit by a pitch to force in a run, Payton Brennan grounded out for another RBI, and Levu scored on a wild pitch.
UC Irvine managed its only run in the third inning after combining a double and single against Cervantes. The Bruins responded in the fifth when Martin doubled and Gasparino brought him home with an RBI groundout. A four-run rally followed in the seventh as UCLA widened its lead through timely hitting from Gasparino, Call, Khansarinia, West (who drew an RBI walk), Cholowsky (two-RBI single), and Levu (sacrifice fly). Another run came home without a hit in the eighth thanks to Aidan Espinoza’s groundout that scored Brennan.
Strickland and Iwanaga combined for two scoreless innings to finish off UCLA’s twentieth consecutive victory.
The Bruins will next face No. 12 USC on Friday night at home as they look to continue their winning streak.
