NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three solo home runs by UCLA were the difference Saturday as the 17th-ranked Bruins defeated No. 10 Vanderbilt 3-0 to even the three-game series at Hawkins Field.
Vanderbilt’s Hunter Owen and UCLA’s Alonzo Tredwell traded scoreless frames with neither starting pitcher getting a decision. Owen went 4.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out seven while Tredwell went five innings, also giving up two hits and striking out seven.
Vanderbilt looked poised to do some damage in the first inning but a pair of caught stealings helped UCLA escape the jam.
The Commodores also put two runners on in the third but were once again unable to scratch across a run.
The Bruins broke through in the seventh inning when Duce Gourson and Darius Perry hit back-to-back home runs to put the visitors on top 2-0.
Kyle Karros hit a third solo homer in the top of the ninth to stretch UCLA’s lead to three.
Both teams finished with five hits. Vanderbilt was led by freshman RJ Austin who continued his hot start with another multi-hit performance, his fifth in the first seven games.
Vanderbilt (4-3) and UCLA (5-1) meet for the series finale at noon CT Sunday on SEC Network+.
