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Bruins Pull Out Walk-Off Winner, Sophomore Emerges

The UCLA Bruins protected their No. 24 national ranking with a thrilling walk-off win over the Loyola Marymount Lions on Tuesday night in Westwood. Late-game heroics continue to be a theme of the Bruins' success this season.
Tom Cavanaugh|
UCLA Bruins outfielder Jake Palmer (38) swings at the ball as Auburn Tigers take on UCLA Bruins during the NCAA regional baseball tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
UCLA Bruins outfielder Jake Palmer (38) swings at the ball as Auburn Tigers take on UCLA Bruins during the NCAA regional baseball tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 24 UCLA Bruins (19-5, 7-2) earned their eighth win in the past nine games on Tuesday night, defeating the Loyola Marymount Lions (14-11) in dramatic fashion. A ninth inning walk-off base hit from sophomore infielder Cameron Kim helped the Bruins pick up the 9-8 victory.

The Bruins held a 6-4 lead through the first six innings of the ballgame before LMU scored four in the top of seventh to take an 8-6 lead. UCLA would get one back in the bottom of the seventh with two runs in the ninth, with Kim's swing being the difference. He finished 2-5 with a pair of RBIs.

A common theme for this team so far this year has been their resiliency and ability to battle back, late in games. Earlier this season, the Bruins earned a 12-6 win in 10 innings over Maryland, scoring six runs in the final three innings to force extra's and win. This team has a knack for the dramatics.

It was a bullpen outing for the UCLA pitching staff as they utilized eight different pitchers with nobody throwing more than two innings. Freshman right-hander Wylan Moss made his fifth start of the season, and sophomore righty Luke Rodriguez earned his second win after pitching the ninth inning.

Bruins sophomore infielder Grant Gray made his first start of the season in left field. He had just two at-bats with zero hits coming into the contest and quickly made his mark against LMU. In Gray's second at-bat in the fourth inning, he belted a 385-foot, two-run homer to put the Bruins up by four.

Gray has not received a ton of time on the field this year due to the strong start from sophomore outfielder Dean West, but he made it count when he got his opportunity. Gray is just another one of the sophomore standouts that continue to make this team extremely dangerous.

Another sophomore came to life in catcher Blake Balsz. He had a productive night, producing four RBIs on a 1-4 day. He slapped a two-run single to get the Bruins on the board, added a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning to drive one in, and tied the game with a fielder's choice in the ninth.

UCLA will now prepare for a three-game series with the Purdue Boilermakers (20-4, 3-3), the only team in the Big Ten with 20 wins. They will travel to West Lafayette starting play on Friday afternoon at 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT. The Bruins seek their ninth win in the last 10 contests.

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Tom Cavanaugh
TOM CAVANAUGH

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