{"id":338920,"date":"2026-05-30T09:49:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T09:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/338920\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T09:49:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T09:49:18","slug":"ncaa-title-hopeful-ucla-baseball-stunned-in-loss-to-saint-marys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/338920\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA title hopeful UCLA baseball stunned in loss to Saint Mary’s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Designated hitter Jacob Johnson hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning off Easton Hawk to lift Saint Mary\u2019s to a stunning 3-2 win<\/a> over top-seeded UCLA<\/a> in the Los Angeles Regional opener Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.<\/p>\n

It marked the first loss by a national No. 1 seed<\/a> in an NCAA regional opener since the current format was established in 1999.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that we play good baseball,\u201d Saint Mary\u2019s starting pitcher John Damozonio said when asked about the Gaels being fueled by low external expectations. \u201cI know that nobody picked us, but kind of our big thing is that we throw all these strikes, we take quality at bats, we play quality defense. … Even if you want to say that a team is objectively better, the team that plays the best baseball that day is going to win. And I think that we play a lot of really good baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Saint <\/p>\n

Saint Mary\u2019s Jacob Johnson (46) celebrates with teammates after hitting a go-ahead solo home run in the ninth inning Friday against UCLA.<\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

UCLA coach John Savage gave credit to Saint Mary\u2019s for pulling off the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was a good game,\u201d Savage said. \u201cI thought both teams played really good defense. I thought both pitching staffs threw strikes for the most part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s second solo home run of the game initially only appeared to be a pop-up near the warning track. But as the stadium fell silent, the ball kept sailing \u2014 and it eventually cleared the wall over leaping Bruins right fielder Jarrod Hocking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a routine fly ball,\u201d Savage said. \u201cBut it was a late-May, [Jackie Robinson Stadium] fly ball that leaves the ballpark. [Johnson is] a big, strong guy, and you got to give him credit for getting the ball up in the air; we didn\u2019t get the ball up in the air enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saint Mary\u2019s reliever Cam Staton earned the win after getting UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky<\/a>, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB draft, to pop out with a runner on first. The right-handed Hawk took the loss.<\/p>\n

Wow.<\/p>\n

St. Mary\u2019s stuns UCLA, the nation\u2019s No. 1 seed, with a 3-2 win to open the LA Regional.<\/p>\n

Gales fans who made the trip are going nuts in Westwood. \u201cBeat LA\u201d chants loud at Jackie Robinson Stadium. pic.twitter.com\/sGFGChYRWS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joaquin Ruiz (@WalkingRuiz) May 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Hawk previously had given up just three homers on the season and hadn\u2019t surrendered one since March 1 against Mississippi State. Johnson, who went deep to start the day\u2019s scoring in the fourth, recorded his second two-homer game of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple big swings by Johnson … really was the difference in the game,\u201d Savage said.<\/p>\n

UCLA starting pitcher Wylan Moss surrendered three hits and one run through five innings, and Damozonio gave up five hits and two runs through seven, throwing 105 pitches.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just didn\u2019t do enough offensively to put ourselves in position to create runs,\u201d Savage said. \u201cAt the end of the day, 12 o\u2019clock at Jackie, late May \u2026 it\u2019s usually pretty offensive. Today was not, for whatever reason, a very offensive day. Got to [give] St. Mary\u2019s credit. I thought the senior right-hander [Damozonio] threw outstanding \u2026 and the left-hander [Staton] came in and did his job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UCLA's <\/p>\n

UCLA\u2019s Jarrod Hocking strikes out to end eighth inning during a 3-2 loss to Saint Mary\u2019s in the NCAA regionals on Friday.<\/p>\n

(Scott Strazzante \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Third baseman Roman Martin hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Cholowsky hit a temporary go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth.<\/p>\n

Gaels third baseman Makoa Sniffen hit an RBI double to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth.<\/p>\n

But the Bruins were unable to rally after posting 28 comeback wins during the regular season.<\/p>\n

Saint Mary\u2019s (35-25) will face Cal Poly in the winner\u2019s bracket on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT. UCLA (51-7) will face Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. The Bruins must win to keep their season alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know how to lose, and we know what it takes to respond,\u201d Martin said, referencing UCLA\u2019s seasoned junior class.<\/p>\n