UCLA, Pepperdine Lose In Baseball Playoffs:

The baseball season ended for UCLA and Pepperdine Monday, June 2 in NCAA Regional competition.For the second straight season UCLA’s bid for a berth in the College World Series was ended by Cal State Fullerton at the Titans’ Goodwin Field, only this time it happened one round earlier. Last year both teams won Regionals but Fullerton defeated UCLA in a Super Regional the next week.This time UCLA began the Regional with a 3-2 win over Virginia and then defeated Fullerton, 11-4. However, in the double elimination event Fullerton came back to beat UCLA twice, including a 5-4 win in the championship game.In UCLA’s win over Virginia former Santa Monica High star Cody Decker, pinch-hitting in the ninth inning, hit a grounder to third that resulted in an error which brought in the winning run.As Decker’s junior season came to an end he has 20 career home runs, the most of anyone on the Bruins’ roster.Fullerton advanced to a Super Regional best-of-three series against Stanford beginning June 6. The winner will earn a berth in the College World Series in Omaha the following weekStanford eliminated Pepperdine, 9-7.UCLA had been rated No. 1 in the nation in one pre-season poll but finished third in the Pac-10 Conference. The Bruins’ record was 33-27 and they qualified for post-season play for the third straight year for the first time in school history.