Bruins Best USC in First Rivalry Meeting of the Year

The UCLA Bruins continue to find success as they topped their bitter rival, USC Sunday afternoon at home. A three-run fifth inning would push the Bruins past their crosstown foe.

Jun 24, 2013; Omaha, NE, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage (22) looks on from the dugout before game 1 of the College World Series finals against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (9-3) came away with a 5-1 win in the first of four meetings this season against bitter rival, USC (9-2), Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Trojans had a three-game win streak snapped as the Bruins put together a three-run fifth inning that would decide the contest.

The two biggest swings of the game came from Bruins sophomore infielder Roch Cholowsky, who has continued to put the entire nation on notice by how well he is hitting the baseball. He expanded on a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning with a three-run home run to put the Bruins up 4-0.

USC would grab their lone run in the seventh inning, but Cholowsky replied immediately in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot. The 2024 Pac-12 All-Conference infielder now has a team-high five home runs, tied for third-most in the Big Ten.

🐻 3R HR
🐻 Solo HR

Roch Cholowsky's pair of long balls sent @UCLABaseball to a 5-1 rivalry win over USC. #B1GBaseball pic.twitter.com/N5LpdPhAum

— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) March 3, 2025

The pitching was fairly impressive, giving up 10 hits while allowing just one run. UCLA used three different arms to get the job done as sophomore right-hander Landon Stump got the start. He tossed 4.1 innings, allowing zero runs on five hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Junior right-handed reliever Michael Barnett improved to a team-best 3-0 record as he was first in relief when the Bruins took a lead. Barnett delivered 3.2 innings, allowing four hits and the only Trojan run. He would strike out four and walked none.

The Trojans would not go quietly in the ninth inning as redshirt sophomore center fielder Payton Brennan made a dazzling diving play to take away an extra-base hit for USC. Sophomore right-hander Justin Lee would close out the ballgame with a pair of strikeouts and help from Brennan.

This Bruins team is going to make some noise in their inaugural Big Ten season from what they have shown this year. They are 2-0 against conference opponents, defeating Michigan State (9-1) by a score of 15-9 last week and taking down their crosstown foe to cap off another impressive week.

UCLA and the Trojans will meet again this season for a three-game weekend series in early May. The Bruins took advantage of home field as the next three rivalry matchups will be played on the road at Great Field in Irvine.

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