Sacramento State Hands No. 1 UCLA Rare Home Loss
- Michael Xu
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
LOS ANGELES — Sacramento State closed its weekend series at Jackie Robinson Stadium with a major road win Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 1 UCLA 9-6.
The Bruins had already taken the first two games of the series, but Sacramento State avoided the sweep with one of its strongest offensive performances of the weekend. The Hornets scored five runs in the third inning and added three more in the seventh to hand UCLA one of its few losses of the season.
UCLA opened the scoring in the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead and looking to build momentum at home. Sacramento State answered immediately in the third, putting together a five-run inning that changed the direction of the game.
The Hornets used patient at-bats, timely contact and pressure on the bases to move in front. UCLA’s defense also struggled, finishing the game with three errors, which gave Sacramento State extra chances to extend innings.
UCLA responded with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut into the deficit, but Sacramento State continued to stay ahead. The Hornets added another run in the sixth, then created more separation with a three-run seventh inning.
Even down late, UCLA did not go away. The Bruins answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, making the score 9-6 and bringing energy back into the home dugout. UCLA finished with 12 hits, but the Bruins could not find the final big inning they needed to complete the comeback.
Sacramento State’s pitching staff held firm in the final two innings, keeping UCLA off the board in the eighth and ninth. The Hornets protected the lead and finished off a statement win against the top-ranked team in the country.
The result ended UCLA’s chance at a series sweep and gave Sacramento State a memorable victory on the road. For the Hornets, beating a No. 1 team at Jackie Robinson Stadium showed their ability to respond after two close losses earlier in the weekend.
For UCLA, the loss was a rare setback in a season that had already been filled with wins. The Bruins still took the series, but Sunday’s game showed how quickly momentum can change when opponents take advantage of mistakes and create big innings.
By the final out, Sacramento State had done enough to leave Los Angeles with a 9-6 win and one of its biggest results of the season.
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