OMAHA (Interstat) — Mulivai Levu hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to give UCLA a 7-5 victory over Southern California at Sapp Fieldhouse in a Big Ten conference game.

The Bruins, who improved to 50-6 overall, trailed 5-4 entering their final at-bat. Levu’s blast to right center field scored pinch runner Hocking and Dean West, who had walked, to cap a comeback that began with a two-run homer by West in the seventh. UCLA finished with 15 hits, while the Trojans, now 43-15, managed 10 hits.

Levu went 3 for 5 with four RBIs. His walk-off shot followed a 2-for-3 performance Friday against Purdue and a recent series at Washington where he went 1 for 4 in two games and 1 for 3 in a loss. West also homered and finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Will Gasparino added three hits for UCLA.

Southern California jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit, as the Trojans scored on a single by Covarrubias, a wild pitch, an RBI double by Augie Lopez, a sacrifice fly and an error. Augie Lopez later drove in another run in the third inning on a single.

UCLA chipped away. In the third, Cadiz scored on a single by Levu after a fielder’s choice. Gasparino scored on a single by Cadiz in the fourth to make it 5-2.

The Trojans maintained that lead until the seventh, when West homered with Espinoza aboard to cut the margin to 5-4. Southern California added two unearned runs in the top of the ninth on a fielder’s choice by Cadena and a sacrifice fly by Basseer, but UCLA responded in the bottom half.

The decisive inning began with Espinoza singling to second base. Hocking pinch ran for him and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Call. West walked, and after Cholowsky fouled out, Levu delivered the game-winning hit.

UCLA used a bullpen committee. Michael Barnett started and allowed three earned runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings, striking out two. Landon Stump pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up one hit and no runs with one strikeout. Justin Lee worked 2/3 of an inning, striking out two. Zach Strickland tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Hawk got the win after allowing the two unearned runs in the ninth.

Southern California starter Grant Govel went four innings, allowing two runs on zero hits with one strikeout. Gavin Lauridsen pitched two innings, surrendering one run on zero hits. Johnson and Troy also saw action.

The game marked the fourth meeting between the rivals this season, with UCLA winning all three prior contests: 12-4 on April 3, 9-8 on April 4 and 10-4 on April 5. The Bruins have won 10 of their last 11 and have not lost consecutive games since mid-April.

Southern California entered the game having won its previous five contests, including a 7-0 shutout of Michigan State on Friday. The Trojans had dropped three of four to Oregon before that and were swept by UCLA in the earlier series.

UCLA’s previous results include a 4-3 win over Purdue on Friday, a series win at Washington and a midweek victory over Loyola Marymount. The Bruins have not lost a home series this season.

The turning point came in the bottom of the seventh, when West’s two-run homer cut the deficit to one and shifted momentum. But the most important sequence was the bottom of the ninth, when Levu’s three-run homer erased the Trojans’ two-run lead and ended the game.

Levu’s performance highlighted his ability to produce in clutch situations. He had driven in runs in three of his previous four games, including a 2-for-3 day with an RBI against Purdue.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Southern California 8, UCLA 7. Interstat’s ELO system gave UCLA a 59.90 percent probability to win. The Bruins were installed as pregame favorites with a spread of minus 1.5.