The comeback kids have done it again, and UCLAbaseball is somehow still alive.
Trailing Virginia Tech 5-3 in the ninth, the nation’s No. 1-seeded Bruins got a pair of season-saving homers from Mulivai Levu and Roman Martin and a walk-off single from Phoenix Call to earn a 6-5 victory over the Hokies in the Los Angeles Regional’s elimination bracket that the packed crowd at Jackie Robinson Stadium will never forget.
After avenging its regional-opening loss to Saint Mary’s from Friday, UCLA (52-7) will play the winner of the Cal Poly vs. Saint Mary’s matchup on Saturday night. Virginia Tech (30-26), which lost its regional opener to Cal Poly, will go home after suffering two losses in a row.
The Bruins avoided becoming the first No. 1 overall seed in NCAA tournament history to be eliminated after dropping their first two games since the current format was implemented in 1999.
And it took everything for UCLA to earn its 29th come-from-behind win of the year.
Hokies second baseman Ethan Ball hit what seemed to be a winning solo shot to right field in the eighth off UCLA right-handed reliever Zach Strickland, sending Virginia Tech’s dugout — and loyal fans who made the cross-country trek — into a frenzy and the Bruins’ faithful into silence. Hokies designated hitter Hudson Lutterman even added insurance with an RBI single in the ninth.
But left-handed pitcher Madden Clement, typically Virginia Tech’s mid-week starter, surrendered the pair of Bruin solo shots to tie the game 5-5. Right-handed pitcher Ethan Grim took the loss after giving up Call’s game-ending hit, which drove in Will Gasparino from third.
The two teams combined for seven solo home runs. UCLA hit four — from Cashell Dugger in the fourth, Gasparino in the fifth and Levu and Martin in the ninth. Virginia Tech hit three — from Owen Petrich in the fifth, Ethan Gibson in the seventh and Ball in the eighth.
UCLA right-handed starting pitcher Michael Barnett surrendered three runs on three hits through six frames. Virginia Tech starter Brett Renfrow gave up two runs on five hits over four innings.
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