The Big Ten Baseball Tournament quarterfinal turned into a dramatic showdown on Friday night as No. 1 UCLA faced off against Purdue in a tightly contested game.
Purdue drew first blood, plating two runs in the third inning to take an early lead, and the Boilermakers held UCLA to just a single hit through the first five frames.
The Bruins' offense seemed stifled, but a timely RBI triple by Roman Martin in the seventh sparked a rally, driving in a run and narrowing the gap.
Payton Brennan followed with an RBI single that tied the contest at 3‑3, setting the stage for a late surge.
Brandon Rogers answered for Purdue with a solo home run in the seventh, restoring a two‑run advantage and shifting momentum back toward the Boilermakers.
UCLA refused to fold, mounting a two‑out rally in the eighth to knot the score again, and the pressure mounted as the game entered its final inning.
The decisive ninth inning
In the ninth, Mulivai Levu delivered a walk‑off sacrifice fly that brought home the winning run, sealing a 4‑3 victory and sending the Bruins to the semifinals.
The relief corps — featuring Ian May, Justin Lee, Zach Strickland and Easton Hawk — combined for shutout innings, preserving the lead and allowing the offense to shine.
Looking ahead, UCLA will meet archrival USC on Saturday at noon PT, a matchup that promises another high‑stakes encounter.