LOS ANGELES – No. 21 Oregon fell behind by five runs early but rallied to send the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh before dropping a 6-3 decision to No. 14 UCLA, 6-3, Friday at Easton Stadium.
The Bruins went up 6-1 after a four-run fourth, but the Ducks sent eight batters to the plate in the seventh inning, scored twice and had the bases loaded when Kai Luschar popped out to end the game.
How it Happened: UCLA (20-8, 6-2) loaded the bases in the first inning and had runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the second. But Duck starter Elise Sokolsky limited the Bruins to just one run in the first and reliever Stevie Hansen did likewise in the second leaving Oregon behind 2-0 after two.
The Ducks (20-12, 7-4) cut the lead in half with a run in the third inning. Luschar beat out an infield single and scored on Ariel Carlson’s double to left center, making it 2-1 UCLA.
The Bruins got to Hansen in the fourth when a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for Megan Grant, who homered to make it 6-1.
Raegan Breedlove relieved and gave Oregon a chance with 2.1 scoreless innings.
In the seventh, the first two batters made outs before the Duck’s final push.
Vallery Wong drew a full-count walk and was lifted for pinch-runner Regan Legg. Katie Flannery’s single to center pushed Legg to third. KK Humphreys cue shot single up the middle then scored Legg to make it 6-2.
Paige Sinicki drew another full-count walk to reload the bases. Hanna Delgado moved everyone up a base with a single through the left side of the infield that scored Flannery, cutting the Bruins’ lead to three before UCLA retired Luschar for the final out of the game.
Noteworthy: Carlson’s RBI was her team-leading 37th of the season, which also moved her into the Pac-12 lead, one ahead of Arizona’s Carlie Scupin … Her double was her ninth on the year, which ties her for the team lead with Delgado and Wong … Luschar, Carlson, Flannery and Humphreys all had two hits … This was the ninth time Legg has scored a run as a pinch-runner.
On Deck: The UCLA series wraps up Saturday at 11 a.m. (Pac-12 Networks).
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