The No. 1 UCLA baseball team defeated Minnesota 5-2 in their series finale at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday. The series sweep was the seventh of the season against a Big Ten opponent for the Bruins.
The Golden Gophers pitching staff continued to cause problems for the Bruins batters by limiting them to only six hits, four walks, five runs and throwing five strikeouts. However, the Bruins group of five pitchers on Sunday held back Minnesota's offensive ambitions by limiting mistakes and precision throwing leading to five strikeouts, as well as, four hits and two runs.
UCLA got on the board in a hurry in the bottom of the first. The Bruins bats collected three hits off of Golden Gophers pitches three times in the inning, leading to a two-run lead.
After a scoreless second inning for both teams, the Bruins got back to their scoring ways in the bottom of the third with a homer blasted to left center by junior infielder Roman Martin.
The Golden Gophers got the better of junior right-handed pitcher Landon Stump for the first time in the fourth inning. Stump gave up two hits, which led to Minnesota's senior centerfielder Weber Neels crossing home plate and getting on the board.
It was the only run Stump allowed over his little over four innings of play. The junior pitcher's final stat sheet for the day was two strike outs, a walk, three hits and a run, moving his earned run average to 2.81 for the season.
Neels scored again for Minnesota in the top of the sixth with a home run to left field. The Minnesota momentum was short-lived however, as the Bruins answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer hit by junior outfielder Will Gasparino.
UCLA attempted to keep the scoring going in the bottom of the seventh with a hit and two walks getting the bases loaded, but it amounted to nothing. Neither team would get a hit in the final two innings and UCLA walked out with the win.
The Bruins will remain home for their midweek competition against Hawaii on Tuesday with an anticipated start time of 6 p.m. PT.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA Bruins baseball swept the series against Minnesota Golden Gophers