UCLA baseball played a good game Saturday at Arizona, but only for the first eight innings.
The No. 18 Bruins (12-9, 4-1 Pac-12) looked well on their way to a series win over the Wildcats (16-7, 3-3), carrying a 5-1 lead into the ninth inning. Instead, Arizona stunned UCLA, putting up five runs in the ninth to earn a walk-off victory and take the series.
Reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week freshman Kyle Molnar had another good start Saturday, allowing just one unearned run over seven innings, tallying eight strikeouts. Sophomore Jake Bird kept everything intact with a scoreless eighth, but it all fell apart when freshman closer Brian Gadsby took the hill in the ninth.
With one out and nobody on, Gadsby hit two consecutive batters and gave up two hits before coach John Savage pulled him in favor of junior Scott Burke. Two batters later, Arizona third baseman Bobby Dalbec delivered a two-out walk-off double to win it for the Wildcats.
On the other side of the ball, the Bruins came up with an efficient five-run eight-hit attack. Redshirt senior Eric Filia, junior third baseman Luke Persico and sophomore first baseman Sean Bouchard each had two-hit days.
The loss pushed UCLA into a three-way tie for first place in the Pac-12 with California and Washington, and represents the Bruins’ first one-run loss all year.
UCLA will host Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday before going back on the road for a weekend series against Cal.
