Brooks Leads No. 7 UCLA Past Washington, 5-1

LOS ANGELES – Junior righty Jake Brooks tossed 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball and Jack Holman hit a game-deciding home run in the fourth inning as No. 7 UCLA recorded a 5-1 win over Washington in Friday's series opener at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The result pushed the Bruins' (16-3, 6-1 Pac-12) winning streak to a season-long six games. UCLA also improved to 13-0 in home games.

Brooks and Holman delivered in key moments for the Bruins in a game which looked to be a pitcher's duel early on.

Washington (14-6, 2-2) starter Kiefer Lord and Brooks traded quick zeroes over the first three innings of the game, allowing Holman to draw first blood in the fourth inning.

Sophomore second baseman Duce Gourson set the table for UCLA's go-ahead fourth with a leadoff single, moving into scoring position after stealing second with junior shortstop Cody Schrier at the plate.

With Gourson at second base, Holman pounced on a first-pitch fastball from Lord and sent it over the fence in right field a two-run shot. It was Holman's third homer of the campaign.

The Bruins added three runs in the seventh, with Gourson and Schrier chipping in back-to-back RBI doubles against UW southpaw Sam Boyle.

UCLA's offensive production turned out to be more than enough for Brooks and the bullpen.

Brooks recorded season-bests in both innings (6.2) and strikeouts (nine) while limiting the Huskies to five hits – all singles – and a walk.

He got in a groove early, retiring the first seven batters of the game and facing just one over the minimum in his first three innings of work.

Washington only threatened against him on two occasions, and UCLA escaped undamaged both times.

In the fourth, Brooks worked around back-to-back singles to lead off the frame, getting the next three batters in order to strand a pair.

Then in the seventh, Washington got two aboard with two outs to chase Brooks from the game. However, freshman righty Cody Delvecchio entered the game and fanned Cole Miller to end the threat.

Senior righty Charles Harrison did the heavy lifting in the eighth, getting a swinging strikeout from five-hitter AJ Guerrero to rescue the Bruins from a bases-loaded jam.

Washington was led by second baseman Sam DeCarlo, who had a pair of hits. Lord struck out eight over six innings, and absorbed his first loss of the season.

UCLA and Washington continue the series on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.