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yesterday

Levu's Ninth-Inning Sac Fly Sends No. 1 UCLA Past Purdue, 4-3

UCLA's walk-off win propels the Bruins into the Big Ten semifinals with Purdue's 37-win résumé awaiting review by the NCAA selection committee

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows A jubilant Mulivai Levu (right) is set to get mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of UCLA's 4-3 win over Purdue in the Big Ten quarterfinals on May 22, 2026 in Omaha, Neb

Overview

  • UCLA completed a comeback on May 22, 2026, when Mulivai Levu delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth to lift the Bruins to a 4-3 walk-off win over Purdue.
  • Purdue carried a 3-1 lead into the late innings after Thomas Howard shut out UCLA for five innings and Brandon Rogers hit a solo homer in the seventh.
  • Two Purdue errors to start the ninth set the stage for UCLA's finish, with Dean West executing a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk loading the bases before Levu's game-winning fly.
  • The victory advances top-seeded UCLA to face crosstown rival USC in the Big Ten semifinals and preserves the Bruins' momentum from a program-best regular season.
  • Purdue finishes the season with 37 wins and now waits for Monday's NCAA Tournament field announcement to learn whether it will receive a Regional bid after a late-season sweep at Iowa complicated its at-large case.