The Bruins had yet to win in March.
But after enduring a seven-game losing streak, they reentered the win column for their first win of Pac-12 play under the Friday night lights.
UCLA baseball (6-10, 1-3 Pac-12) defeated Washington State (9-7, 1-3) by a score of 4-1 in the series opener at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins’ win ended their longest losing streak since 2015, with junior right-hander Luke Jewett picking up his first win of the season.
“I think it was all about making pitches from our starter,” said coach John Savage. “Luke, I thought, really responded from last week the right way. … We needed a quality start, and he got us one.”
Jewett tossed six innings, allowed one run and tied his career high of five strikeouts.
Despite giving up a home run in the top of the sixth, Jewett was able to close out the frame to depart the game with just one run to his name.
“That pitch is over with after he hit it, and all I could focus on is that next pitch,” Jewett said. “It’s kind of a big thing we preach here is just going pitch to pitch.”
The righty duo of sophomore Cody Delvecchio and graduate student Rashad Ruff held the score steady to lead UCLA to an eventual victory.
Delvecchio and Ruff closed out the game, shutting out the Cougars over the final three innings and the latter recording the save.
“They’ve (the bullpen) done a great job this whole year, and every single guy that’s in the bullpen is going to play a big spot, so we have a lot of trust in them,” Jewett said.
Offensively, UCLA exploded in the bottom of the sixth, where the Bruins scored all four of their runs and batted around the order.
Freshman catcher Cashel Dugger knocked in one of the runs with an RBI single. Dugger went 3-for-4 on the night – a career-high hit total – to kickstart UCLA’s offense.
“Like Coach always says, it’s all about just passing the baton and get it to the next person,” Dugger said. “It feels good to help the team win, but it’s really about what we’re all doing collectively.”
One of those teammates who received the baton was freshman infielder Roman Martin – who replaced junior infielder Duce Gourson at second base while he served a one-game suspension for his ejection Tuesday, Savage said.
After starting the game with two strikeouts and an error in the infield, Martin rallied for a 2-for-4 showing with an RBI single up the middle.
“(Martin) responded the way that we want guys to respond to failure,” Savage said. “Nine innings is a long game, so you’re going to get plenty of opportunities to get back and be able to do things, and that’s what he did.”
The Bruins will attempt to battle back toward .500 with their next two games against the Cougars on Saturday and Sunday.
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