Brennan’s 3 hits, 2 RBIs help UCLA beat UTSA 7-0 and win super regional, clinch berth in CWS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Payton Brennan had three hits, two RBIs and scored two runs on Sunday and UCLA beat UTSA 7-0 to win the Los Angeles Super Regional and advance to the College World Series.

UCLA won its first super regional title since 2013 when the Bruins claimed the program’s only national championship.

The No. 15 seed Bruins (46-16) advance to the College World Series and play the winner between Duke and Murray State in the CWS.

Brennan hit a two-out double and Toussaint Bythewood followed with an RBI single off starter Conor Myles (5-2) to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Phoenix Call led off the fifth with a bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dean West before Roch Cholowsky drove in Call with a single to left field that made it 2-0.

UCLA starter Landon Stump hit Andrew Stucky with a pitch to lead off the fifth and was replaced by Chris Grothues (4-1), who got Norris McClure to ground into a 6-3 double play — the Bruins 63rd of the season, the most in the nation — before Mason Lytle struck out looking to end the inning.

Grothues, Cal Randall, August Souza and Easton Hawk combined for five no-hit innings of relief for the Bruins.

The Bruins added two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth, including Brennan’s two-run single.

Umpire Eric Goshay was hit on the chin with a foul ball off the bat of Cholowsky in the seventh inning and left the field in the eighth. Second base umpire Travis Carlson moved behind the plate to accommodate for a three-man officiating crew.

UTSA (47-15) saw its historic season, including a program single-season wins record, come to a close. The Roadrunners beat Kansas State in their opener at the Austin Regional for UTSA’s first postseason win and then beat No. 2 national seed Texas twice to claim the program’s first regional title.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports