UCLA at Washington

SEATTLE (Interstat) — Aiden Aguayo homered and drove in two runs, and the UCLA Bruins scored four unanswered runs in the final two innings to rally past the Washington Huskies 6-5 on Friday night at Husky Ballpark.

The Bruins, who improved to 47-6, overcame a 5-2 deficit after Washington’s Jackson Hotchkiss hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning. UCLA responded with two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth, the latter aided by a Washington error.

UCLA reliever Landon Stump threw 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out two, to pick up the win. Cal Randall followed with 1⅔ hitless innings and three strikeouts, and Easton Hawk struck out two in a perfect ninth for the save.

Hotchkiss led Washington (22-30) with two hits, including the seventh-inning homer that gave the Huskies a three-run lead. He also singled and stole a base. Washington pitchers Noah Kenney, Tommy Brandenburg and Carson Boesel combined for six scoreless innings of relief with six strikeouts, but the bullpen could not hold the lead in the late innings.

The game turned in the top of the ninth after UCLA had trimmed the deficit to 5-4. With one out, Phoenix Call, pinch-running for Mulivai Levu, reached third base on a fielding error by Washington shortstop Sam DeCarlo. Will Gasparino also reached on the error. Cashel Dugger then doubled to right-center, scoring both runners unearned. Dugger’s hit put UCLA ahead 6-5 and chased Washington reliever Bryce Johnson, who had struck out three in 1⅓ innings but allowed three hits.

UCLA’s rally began in the eighth inning. After Washington’s Jack Wade walked Cashel Dugger and Aiden Aguayo, pinch-hitter Kasen Khansarinia walked to load the bases. Jarrod Hocking then singled through the middle, scoring Dugger and Aguayo to pull UCLA within 5-4. Johnson entered and retired Payton Brennan to end the inning.

Washington had taken control with a three-run second inning. After a walk to Mic Paul and a single by Blake Wilson, Casen Taggart tripled to left field, scoring both runners. The Huskies added another run in the third on a double by Paul that scored Colton Bower.

UCLA tied the game at 2 in the sixth when Will Gasparino doubled and Aguayo followed with a home run to left. But Washington answered in the seventh. Bryce Terry doubled and Hotchkiss homered to left, giving the Huskies a 5-2 lead.

UCLA outhit Washington 7-10 but capitalized on two Washington errors. The Bruins used five pitchers: Michael Barnett started and allowed three earned runs in 3⅔ innings. Stump, Justin Lee, Randall and Hawk combined for 5⅓ innings of one-hit relief, with the only run against them unearned.

The teams continue their series Saturday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of UCLA 8, Washington 4. Interstatl’s ELO system gave UCLA a 75.40 percent probability to win. UCLA was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-4.5 runs.