UCLA Falls to Sacramento State in Series Finale Despite Cholowsky's Heroics The No. 1 UCLA Bruins suffered a 9-6 loss to the Sacramento State Hornets in the series finale on Sunday, marking the Hornets’ first-ever victory against a top-ranked opponent. Despite a valiant effort from star shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who hit two home runs and drove in four runs, UCLA’s pitching struggles and defensive errors proved too costly. The defeat ended UCLA’s hopes of securing a 40th win and a 10th consecutive series sweep, while Sacramento State celebrated a historic milestone. The game began with UCLA taking an early lead, scoring the only run of the series in the first inning. However, Sacramento State quickly turned the tide in the third, erupting for five runs. Third baseman Jakob Poturnak launched a two-run home run, his second of the weekend, to ignite the Hornets’ offensive surge. UCLA’s pitching faltered under the pressure, with Landon Stump on the mound in his 11th start of the season. Stump walked three batters in the third inning, the most he had allowed since his debut against UC San Diego on February 15. UCLA clawed back in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from freshman Aiden Aguayo, trimming the deficit to 5-2. Cholowsky extended the Bruins’ lead with his 16th home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field in the fifth inning. However, Sacramento State capitalized on UCLA’s defensive lapses in the sixth and seventh innings. An error by third baseman Roman Martin allowed Jace Jeremiah to reach base, and he later scored on a sacrifice fly. A leadoff hit by pitch in the seventh inning set the stage for another run, as Ryan Ellis’s bunt was mishandled by Cholowsky, who failed to throw out the runner at third.#ucla_brains #sacramento_state_hornets #roch_cholowsky #jakob_poturnak #landon_stump
