JonJon Vaughns narrowly missed a diving catch Friday night.
The Trojans scored their ninth and 10th runs of the game as a result – pushing a series-opening win for the Bruins even further out of reach.
But with a win still well within reach Saturday, the senior outfielder got another chance.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Behind Vaughns’ run-saving catch in the third inning, UCLA baseball (8-12, 3-5 Pac-12) knotted up its rivalry series against USC (8-14, 4-4) with a narrow 7-6 win. The two-sport athlete’s snag in right field kept his team in front, ending the inning and setting the table for a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame – just enough to keep the Trojans out of reach.
“That was super big,” said sophomore right-hander Michael Barnett. “Having the knowledge that your fielders are going to make a big play for is – always boosts your confidence as a pitcher.”
After freshman catcher Cashel Dugger and Vaughns put their team ahead with consecutive RBI singles in the second inning, second baseman Duce Gourson wasted no time parlaying Vaughns’ catch into another run.
The junior launched his team-leading fifth home run of the season toward the scoreboard, extending the lead to three.
Freshman third baseman Roch Cholowsky’s subsequent double knocked USC starter Tyler Stromsborg out of the game before a single from redshirt junior outfielder AJ Salgado brought him home.
UCLA completed its three-run third with freshman designated hitter Roman Martin – who was hit by a pitch – scoring on a wild pitch.
Barnett’s day came to a swift end in the sixth inning after three singles in four batters pushed across the first Trojan run. The Bruins’ Saturday starter was eventually charged with three runs across 5.1 innings while striking out six.
“Outstanding. Really unfortunate that his (Barnett’s) line shows three runs in 5 1/3,” Savage said. “That was a really clean outing. … He pitched as well as he’s pitched all season.”
Replacing Barnett, freshman right-hander Luke Rodriguez allowed a two-run double – with both earned runs going against Barnett – before an infield error cut UCLA’s lead to just one.
Sophomore right-hander Cody Delvecchio – who entered after the two-bagger – had his number called to wrap up the sixth, eventually inducing a flyout to end the frame.
“Coach always says to pick up our guys, and kind of just NP – which means ‘negative to positive,’” Delvecchio said. “Obviously, the error, it kind of affected us a little bit, but I was like ‘Yo, got to pick up my shortstop here, got to pick up my captain.’”
The Bruins didn’t wait long to rebuild their multi-run lead.
A two-out, seeing-eye single up the middle from freshman first baseman Mulivai Levu put UCLA back up 7-4, turning the game back over to the Bruins’ high-leverage relievers to record the final nine outs.
Delvecchio – UCLA’s de facto fireman – kept USC off the board in the seventh and eighth, striking out two while allowing one baserunner in his fourth consecutive multi-inning outing.
“This year I expanded to two innings, and I kind of like it,” Delvecchio said. “Whatever saves the bullpen, whatever saves my squad, I’m going to go out there and compete for us.”
Thus, the stage was set for graduate student right-hander Rashad Ruff to pick up his fourth save of the season.
However, the game’s final frame wasn’t without drama.
Back-to-back two-out hits from catcher Jacob Galloway and second baseman Ryan Jackson made it a one-run game and put the tying run on first.
But in the game’s biggest spot, Ruff needed just three pitches to end the game, striking out Trojan designated hitter Kevin Takeuchi looking.
Savage said the season thus far has been a grind, and there’s still room for his team to grow.
“We got to learn how to start games, we got to learn how to finish games,” Savage said. “We still are not quite there yet.”
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