For two consecutive games, each Bruin batter has reached base at least once, but unlike in Saturday’s run-rule victory, there were no late-game heroics to save the team this time.
No.10 UCLA (29-10, 13-5 Big Ten) fell to No.16 Oregon (27-11, 14-7 Big Ten) 10-6 on Sunday at PK Park in Oregon. The loss came after a four-run bottom of the eighth for the Ducks, catapulting them to triumph.
With the defeat, the Bruins’ streak of 10 straight weekend series wins comes to an end, a stretch dating back to last season. The team has struggled as of late, dropping three of their last four now for the first time this year.
The match’s first scoring came in the bottom of the second, where Oregon took the first lead. A trio of singles brought in one run, before an RBI groundout brought in another, putting the Ducks up 2-0. The Bruins quickly responded, scoring one back on an RBI groundout in the top of the third.
UCLA’s bats really came alive in a three-run top of the fourth. Roman Martin started the action with a deep home run to center field off of Oregon’s 6’11” pitcher Jason Reitz, his third of the season. Another RBI groundout, followed by an error at shortstop, brought in two more, extending UCLA’s lead to 4-2.
The Ducks answered immediately in the bottom of the inning with two homers. First was Anson Aroz, who launched a solo shot to right field, bringing his team within one. A pair of singles then brought up Mason Neville, who hit a record-setting home run to right field. The three-run dinger, his 19th of the year, is the most in college baseball this year and marked the single-season Oregon record.
UCLA crawled back over the course of the next three innings, hitting an RBI double in the sixth and an RBI single in the eighth to tie the game 6-6. However, their defeat ultimately boiled down to an eighth-inning bullpen collapse.
Easton Hawk came in to pitch the bottom of the inning, conceding a home run to left field on his very first pitch. Hawk then walked a batter and gave up a double, before Justin Lee was given a try. Lee hit a batter to load the bases before allowing a single, which brought home two base runners for the Ducks.
An RBI sac-fly was the last run Oregon would score, but the damage had been done. UCLA was unable to put together a late-game resurgence as they did on Saturday, losing 10-6 in the end.
The Bruins’ pitchers were off all night, unable to settle into a consistent rhythm. Their 12 hits allowed were tied for the 2nd most on the season, while the 10 runs were tied for the 3rd most. The unit also walked eight batters and struck out just three.
Despite conceding the series, UCLA still holds its position as 2nd in the Big Ten, with Oregon now just 1.5 games behind. The Bruins will look to bounce back on Tuesday at UC Irvine, before returning home to face Penn State in a three-game series.
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Featured Image Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
