Bruins Drop Marathon, Streak Snapped

The Bruins had the game in their hands more than once and just could not finish it.

They trailed early after a two-run home run in the first inning but responded quickly to tie the game. They took the lead in the third and held it for several frames. They weathered a game-tying rally in the eighth, then pushed the game into extra innings. 

There were high points too. Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky continued his breakout season, going 7-for-13 in the series and raising his team-leading average to .372.

Redshirt sophomore left-hander Will Goldberg made a remarkable season debut, entering in the 11th inning with the bases loaded and no outs. He escaped the jam unscathed with a groundout and a 3-2-3 double play.

UCLA kept putting itself in position to win. In the 11th. In the 13th. Runners on base, moments waiting to be seized. But each time, the breakthrough never came. 

And in the 14th, San Diego’s Austin Smith delivered his second home run of the game to put the Toreros ahead for good.

This was not just a game. It was a gut check. It was a reminder of how thin the line can be between winning and losing, especially in a sport that demands so much patience and precision. 

For a UCLA team that had been rolling through the past few weeks, the loss came as both a shock and a reality check.

Still, despite the defeat, UCLA moved up to No. 10 in the national rankings. The Bruins are 25-6 overall and 10-2 in Big Ten play. The loss does not erase the progress they have made or the quality of baseball they have played. But it does challenge them. How they respond will matter.

Losing in the 14th inning after nearly five hours on the field is not a collapse. It is part of the journey. Every team, even the great ones, gets tested. Now comes the part where UCLA has to regroup, reset and keep building.

The streak is over, but the season is not. What comes next might be even more important.

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