No. 15 overall seed UCLA eases past Fresno State 19-4 behind a season-high 22 hits
UCLA (43-16), back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years, will play Saturday against the winner between Arizona State and UC Irvine. Fresno State (31-28) will meet the loser in an elimination game.
UCLA had a season-high 22 hits, topping its previous 19 against Purdue on March 30. Five different Bruins had at least three hits.
Martin started UCLA's four-run first inning with an RBI single and Blake Balsz capped it with run-scoring bloop single. Martin finished with four hits and three RBIs and Balsz added three hits and two RBIs.
UCLA starter Michael Barnett needed just eight pitches to set the Bulldogs down in order in the second. Barnett stranded a pair of runners in the fourth to get out of a jam. He allowed two earned runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Chris Grothues (2-1) came on with runners at the corners and one out in the fifth and got Bobby Blandford to hit into a 3-6-1 double play. Grothues threw just 10 pitches — eight strikes — over 1 2/3 no-hit innings.
Martin's eighth home run of the season made it 5-1 in the third. Balsz ripped an RBI single through the right side for a five-run lead.
The Bruins sealed it with six runs in the seventh for a 10-run lead. Levu cleared the bases with a shot off the wall in left field.
Payton Brennan hit his sixth home run of the season in a seven-run eighth.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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