Eight-Run Inning Lifts UCLA over No. 10 Cal State Fullerton

LOS ANGELES – Sean Bouchard finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Brett Stephens collected two hits and drove in three runs as the UCLA baseball team came back from a four-run deficit to defeat No. 10 Cal State Fullerton, 9-7, on Tuesday from Jackie Robinson Stadium. The victory extends UCLA's winning streak to five-straight games as the Bruins have score eight or more runs in all five games.

After falling behind 5-1, UCLA put up eight runs in the fourth inning to take a 9-5 lead. UCLA loaded the bases with no outs as Chase Strumpf hit a RBI-single followed by back-to-back bases loaded walks by Ryan Kreidler and Will McInerny to make the score 5-4. Stephens would then bring home the go-ahead runs with a bases-clearing double for UCLA's first lead of the game at 7-5. Bouchard pushed it to a three-run advantage with a RBI-triple down the right-field line and later scored the inning's final run on a Kyle Cuellar sacrifice fly to center field.

The 10th-ranked Titans cut the lead to 9-7 with a Hunter Cullen RBI-single to center field in the seventh inning followed by Taylor Bryant hitting a single up the middle to plate Scott Hurst in the eighth inning. Cal State Fullerton looked to tie the game in the eighth inning with the bases loaded, but UCLA turned an unconventional 1-3-2 double play to end the threat.

The Bruins scored the game's opening run in the first inning as Bouchard doubled down the left-field line to plate Daniel Amaral all the way from first base. CSF responded with a four-run third inning led by a Hurst solo home run. The Titans pushed their lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning as Sahid Valenzuela drove in Hurst with a single to right field.

UCLA's Ryan Garcia (2-0) picked up the win tossing 1.1 innings in relief, while starter Justin Hooper threw 2.2 innings allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits. Scott Burke tossed a perfect ninth inning to get his first save of the season.

Cal State Fullerton's Maxwell Gibb (1-3) suffered the loss allowing four runs on two hits with two walks as starter Joe Wills went 3.0 innigs allowing three runs on two hits with three walks.

UCLA will hit the road this weekend to Arizona State for a three-game Pac-12 series starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Game Notes: The eight-run fourth inning marks the most runs in a single-inning this season by the Bruins … The eight-run inning is the most runs scored in a single inning since the first inning against Long Beach State on May 3, 2016 … The last time UCLA scored at least eight runs in five-consecutive games was in 2010 … Sean Bouchard is tied for the team lead with five multi-RBI games … Brett Stephens tied a career-high with three RBIs … Nick Scheidler set a career-high with four strikeouts over his 2.0 innings in relief.