Mistakes Force Rubber Match Out West

Saturday, March 22

Los Angeles, Calif.

5:00 PM

Indiana University

13-10, 6-2

UCLA

17-5, 5-3

Indiana

UCLA

3/22/2025 9:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – It was a game of missed opportunities for the Indiana Baseball team (13-10, 5-3 B1G) on Saturday (March 22) afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Hoosiers finished 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and made two outs at home plate in a 7-4 loss to UCLA. The two teams will play a rubber match on Sunday (March 23) afternoon.

Freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian handed IU a brief lead in the fifth inning with an infield single through the right side. The hit scored redshirt sophomore Joey Brenczewski but a UCLA throwing error allowed junior shortstop Tyler Cerny to score from second to take a 2-1 lead.

Graduate student right-handed pitcher Ben Grable (L, 3-1) nearly made it through six full innings but allowed a go-ahead, two-run blast in the sixth inning. The next two batters in the inning reached base and redshirt junior southpaw Grant Holderfield came on to record the final out of the frame. Grable went a career high 5.2 innings of work and threw a career best 98 pitches. He allowed just two earned runs.

IU had multiple chances to scratch runs across but couldn't get it done. Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley made outs at home plate in the fifth and seventh innings on baserunning errors. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson had a chance with the bases loaded in the ninth but hit a weak ground ball to the second baseman for the game's final out.

The Hoosiers will take their second crack at winning the series in tomorrow's rubber match. High-leverage arms in senior Deron Swanson, redshirt junior Pete Haas and redshirt senior Gavin Seebold are all still available on the mound for head coach Jeff Mercer's team.

Scoring Recap
Bottom Third
After an error allowed the inning to continue, Mulivai Levu hit a ball off the end of the bat that trickled down the third base line for an infield single and the game's first run. It was an unearned run charged to IU starter Ben Grable.
UCLA 1, Indiana 0

Top Fifth
IU finally broke into the hit column with a pair of infield singles in the fifth. Cooper Malamazian singled just past the diving second baseman to score Joey Brenczewski. Tyler Cerny was allowed to score the go-ahead run on a throwing error from the second baseman.
Indiana 2, UCLA 1

Bottom Sixth
One of the few bad pitches that Grable threw all day was tagged for a two-run blast from AJ Salgado to dead center.
UCLA 3, Indiana 2

Bottom Seventh
Payton Brennan mustered a RBI single through the right side to extend UCLA's lead in the seventh.
UCLA 4, Indiana 2

Bottom Eighth
After getting the first two outs, IU's bullpen allowed three two-out runs to give the home team some insurance. Dean West doubled through the left side before a Roch Cholowsky singled opened up a big gap. The Bruins got one more on a double from Levu.
UCLA 7, Indiana 2

Top Ninth
The Hoosiers finally put some good at-bats together in the ninth inning but it wasn't enough. Jake Hanley led off the inning with a solo home run. Cerny recorded a base hit and scored on a double down the line from Malamazian. Wiggins was hit by a pitch before Taylor walked to load the bases. Korbyn Dickerson hit a weak ground ball to second base to end the game.
UCLA 7, Indiana 4

Top Hoosier Performers
#17 Grable, Ben
5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 K

#34 Hanley, Jake
3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

#15 Malamazian, Cooper
2-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B

Inside the Box Score
• IU struck out 10 times on the afternoon – all coming against UCLA starter Michael Barnett.
• The Hoosiers' only allowed three walks on the mound.
• Three players had multi-hit games for IU.
• Jake Hanley hit the lone home run for the Hoosiers.

Notes to Know
• Junior outfielder Devin Taylor recorded two base hits, extending his career-long hitting streak to 13 games. It's the longest hitting streak by any IU player since Jasen Oliver in 2024 (13; 3/16 – 4/5). Taylor also recorded the 10th multi-hit game of his season and the 57th of his career.

• Taylor continues to close in on another milestone. He now has 185 career hits. He just needs 15 to become the 25th member of the 200-hit club at IU. His classmate, junior shortstop Tyler Cerny, isn't far behind with 164 base knocks.

• Much like Taylor, freshman first baseman Jake Hanley tallied his 10th multi-hit game of the season. Five of those – including today's defeat to UCLA – have been three-hit affairs. Hanley hit his third home run of the year with a solo blast in the ninth inning.

• Since a tumultuous outing at Penn State in the first game of a doubleheader on March 7th, IU's pitching staff has steadied the ship. Despite giving up some late runs, the Hoosiers have allowed seven-or-fewer earned runs in nine-straight games. IU has also gone seven-straight games without allowing more than five walks.

• IU has actually outscored opponents 19-4 in the ninth inning of games this season. That includes a pair of runs in an attempted comeback against UCLA on Saturday. Despite that heavy advantage in runs, IU 0-9 when trailing heading into the ninth inning.

Up Next
A big, early-season rubber match will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 23) afternoon. IU would love a big series victory against UCLA and can do so with a win tomorrow. The game will be streamed on B1G+ while Ben Haller will have the call on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.