A Historic Upset in the NCAA Tournament
The Bruins entered the regional final as the No. 1 overall seed, but a 3‑2 loss to Saint Mary’s on Thursday night turned the bracket on its head. The defeat marks the first time in NCAA Tournament history that a No. 1 seed has been eliminated by a No. 4 team in a 1‑vs‑4 matchup.
Jacob Johnson, the sophomore slugger for Saint Mary’s, delivered the decisive blow with a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, capping a two‑homer performance that swung the momentum firmly in the Gaels’ favor.
The win also ended a streak that had haunted UCLA’s bullpen. Closer Easton Hawk, who had not surrendered an earned run since March 8, saw his perfect run broken as the Gaels rallied to take the lead.
With the loss, UCLA drops to the losers’ bracket and will face the survivor of the Virginia Tech‑Cal Poly play‑in on Saturday, a must‑win situation that could still salvage a national‑title run but now carries an air of urgency.
The upset joins a string of early‑round surprises in this year’s tournament, including victories by Auburn over Milwaukee and Southern Miss over Little Rock, as well as a historic run by Tennessee that saw a No. 1 seed capture the championship a year ago.