LOS ANGELES – Indiana came into the weekend riding a wave of momentum, but a hard-fought series against UCLA put the Hoosiers to the test.
What started as a commanding Friday night win quickly turned into a grind, as missed opportunities and late-inning struggles cost Indiana in the final two games.
After powering their way to a series-opening victory behind strong pitching and three home runs, the Hoosiers had a chance to secure a statement road series.
However, costly outs on the basepaths and struggles with runners in scoring position loomed large in Saturday’s loss, setting up a decisive Sunday showdown. Despite a late push, Indiana couldn’t complete the comeback, as UCLA held on to take the series in the rubber match.
Here’s how the weekend unfolded for the Hoosiers out west.
PITCHING, POWER FUEL INDIANA TO SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN
Indiana rode dominant pitching and a trio of home runs to a 5-1 victory over UCLA on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium, extending its winning streak to six games.
Senior left-hander Ryan Kraft and graduate right-hander Cole Gilley combined for nine innings of one-run baseball, stifling the Bruins’ offense and giving the Hoosiers a key road win to open the weekend series.
Kraft delivered 4.1 shutout innings in his first start of the season before handing the ball to Gilley, who recorded the final 14 outs while allowing just a single run.
Meanwhile, the Indiana offense did all of its damage via the long ball.
Junior outfielder Devin Taylor set the tone early with a towering two-run blast to center in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
Redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson followed with a solo shot in the third, and sophomore infielder Tyler Cerny provided insurance with a two-run homer in the fourth.
The Hoosiers’ defense overcame a pair of errors with key plays, including a seventh-inning double play that snuffed out a potential UCLA rally. Indiana held the Bruins to just one run, marking the fewest runs UCLA has scored in a game since May 2024.
With a win to open the series under their belts, the Hoosiers needed to win just one of the final two contests of the weekend to pull out a statement series win.
HOOSIERS STRUGGLE TO CAPITALIZE IN SATURDAY LOSS
Indiana had its chances on Saturday afternoon, but missed opportunities proved costly in a 7-4 loss to UCLA.
The Hoosiers went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and made two critical outs at home plate, forcing a Sunday rubber match in the weekend series.
Freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian briefly gave Indiana a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with an infield single that scored redshirt sophomore Joey Brenczewski. A throwing error by UCLA allowed junior shortstop Tyler Cerny to come around from second, but the lead didn’t last long.
Graduate right-hander Ben Grable pitched into the sixth and was solid throughout, but a two-run homer in the inning put the Bruins back in front. Grable threw a career-high 98 pitches over 5.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs before turning things over to the bullpen.
Indiana's biggest struggles came on the basepaths and in clutch moments at the plate.
Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley was thrown out at home twice, once in the fifth and again in the seventh, squandering potential runs.
Then, in the ninth, redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson stepped up with the bases loaded and a chance to tie or take the lead but grounded weakly to second for the final out.
Following a Saturday afternoon loss, the Hoosiers had one more shot at taking the series on Sunday, with key bullpen arms still available for head coach Jeff Mercer.
INDIANA'S LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT AS UCLA SECURES SERIES WIN
Indiana had its chances late, but UCLA did just enough to hold on for the series-clinching victory on Sunday.
UCLA took an early lead in the weekend rubber match, scoring three runs over the game's first two innings to take an early lead. The Hoosiers got on the scoreboard in the fourth to pull within two runs.
Then, after Jake Hanley’s RBI single in the eighth cut the deficit to 3-2, the Hoosiers appeared to be in prime position to complete the comeback. But with two runners on and two outs, Jake Stadler’s shallow popout stranded the tying and go-ahead runs.
UCLA then padded its lead in the bottom half of the frame against right-hander Pete Hass. The Bruins added three runs of insurance in the bottom of the eighth to effectively put the game away.
Tyler Cerny gave Indiana a glimmer of hope with a leadoff solo homer in the final frame, but UCLA quickly slammed the door, sealing the 6-3 win for the Bruins and handing the Hoosiers a hard-fought series loss on the road.
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