In one dugout resided UCLA, the nation\u2019s top-ranked team<\/a> that\u2019s gone unbeaten in the Big Ten Conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the other could be found Sacramento State, a sub-.500 team from the Western Athletic Conference.<\/p>\n Apparently the Hornets don\u2019t care about credentials.<\/p>\n One day after nearly upsetting the Bruins, they put another mighty scare into them on their home field.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s college baseball,\u201d UCLA coach John Savage said, alluding to the game\u2019s parity and unpredictability.<\/p>\n The Bruins<\/a> needed closer Easton Hawk shutting down a big threat, some clutch hitting and another Sacramento State blunder to pull out a 5-3 victory on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n UCLA\u2019s Cashel Dugger scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning after leading off with a single and advancing to third base on Payton Brennan\u2019s double off the center field wall. After Jarrod Hocking popped up to shallow right field, Dugger came home on a wild pitch.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Dean West added a run-scoring single to left-center to make it 5-3 and complete the comeback from an early 2-0 deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese types of games, we just know we have to outlast them when things aren\u2019t going our way,\u201d said first baseman Mulivai Levu, who joined Roch Cholowsky and Will Gasparino in hitting solo home runs to account for the balance of UCLA\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n The Bruins (39-3) held on again, one day after they needed a wild ninth-inning rally to beat the Hornets (19-25) in the series opener. That comeback culminated with Roman Martin\u2019s RBI single under the first baseman\u2019s glove before Cholowsky kept running on the play and scored the winning run on an errant throw to home plate.<\/p>\n What it means<\/p>\n Savage said his team continually finding a way to win shouldn\u2019t obscure all the things it needs to do better, including converting offensive opportunities.<\/p>\n The Bruins stranded 11 baserunners Saturday and went 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.<\/p>\n \u201cThat kind of gets the paint brush out and covers it up from a player perspective but certainly not from a coach perspective,\u201d Savage said of his team\u2019s success in tight games. \u201cFrom a coach perspective, you\u2019re evaluating and you\u2019re analyzing things and going, \u2018We\u2019ve got to play at a higher level.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n Turning point<\/p>\n Sacramento State had tied the score at 3 in the seventh inning after manufacturing a run on a leadoff single, wild pitch, passed ball and sacrifice fly.<\/p>\n It appeared that the Hornets might compound the Bruins\u2019 misery in the eighth. After the first two batters reached on an infield single and a walk, Savage brought in Hawk with one out.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> Smart move.<\/p>\n Facing Jakob Poturnak, who had smashed a two-run homer in the first inning, Hawk struck out the slugger on three pitches. After allowing both runners to move up on a wild pitch, Hawk also struck out Jace Jeremiah to end the threat.<\/p>\n \u201cI threw like four sliders in a row to get that last guy,\u201d Hawk said when asked how he escaped the jam, \u201cand just trusting Sav and what the scouting report is and what he\u2019s calling.\u201d<\/p>\n Did you hear that?<\/p>\n The Bruins\u2019 junior public-address announcer not only nailed the pronunciation of Malivai Levu (Moo-lee-vie luh-VOO) in the bottom of the fifth inning but also brought him good luck.<\/p>\n Levu hit a two-out solo homer, pulling the Bruins into a tie.<\/p>\n \u201cHome run!\u201d the announcer yelled in celebration.<\/p>\n MVP<\/p>\n Hawk\u2019s 1 \u2154 innings of scoreless relief \u2014 including a 1-2-3 ninth inning \u2014 earned him his 10th save after he threw 16 of his 20 pitches for strikes.<\/p>\n He\u2019s now made 14 consecutive scoreless appearances, largely as a result of his ability to mix a 97 mph fastball with a superb slider and changeup.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can pitch a lot of different ways to get you out,\u201d Savage said.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n The Bruins conclude their series against Sacramento State at 1 p.m. Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t![\"UCLA's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/RPT_9552.jpg\")
UCLA\u2019s Roch Cholowsky (1) and his teammates survived another scare against Sacramento State on Saturday. Courtesy Ross Turtletaub<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/RPT_9488.jpg\")
UCLA second baseman Phoenix Call and his teammates earned their 39th victory of the season Saturday. Courtesy Ross Turtletaub<\/p>\n
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