Ducks Land Last Big Blow in Heavyweight Battle

Saturday, May 9

Los Angeles, Calif.

6:32 p.m.

University of Oregon

36-13, 18-8

UCLA

45-5, 25-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	0	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	0	9	9	0
UCLA	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	6	7	1

Photo by: Zoe Rivers

05/10/26 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #13 Oregon 9, #1 UCLA 6

LOS ANGELES — Jack Brooks delivered a bases-clearing three-run double with two outs in the top of the eighth to spark No. 13 Oregon to a 9-6 win over No. 1 UCLA in Big Ten Conference action at Jackie Robinson Field on Saturday night.

Brooks' three-run double capped a four-run inning that saw the Ducks (36-13, 18-8 Big Ten) rally from a deficit for the third time in the game. The eighth inning rally started after the first two Ducks' batters were retired.

Freshman Angel Laya sparked the rally with a two-out infield base hit that UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky backhanded in shallow left field. Laya came around to score from first base on a Maddox Molony double to right field. The Ducks shortstop hit a liner that right-fielder Payton Brennan attempted to make a diving catch on. Instead of making the catch, Brennan had the ball bounce off his glove toward the right-field line. Laya rounded third as Brennan retrieved the ball before racing home and eluding the tag by catcher Cashel Duggar. Laya slid over the right-handed batter's box while touching the plate with his outstretched hand.

After tying the game, Gabe Miranda walked before Naulivou Lauaki Jr. reached on a high chopper over the mound that UCLA second baseman Phoenix Call couldn't handle on a short hop, moving Molony to third and Miranda to second to load the bases.

After taking a first-pitch strike, Brooks laced a line drive into the left-center field gap, scoring all three runners giving the Ducks' a three-run lead.

"The at-bat started with those three guys before me getting on base and they did their job," Brooks said. "I just had to come through in a moment there, I got my pitch to hit and I didn't miss it. It was a good time."

Tanner Bradley (5-0), who came in to get the final out in the seventh after UCLA took a one-run lead, pitched out of trouble in the eighth the keep the Ducks in front by three. The Ducks' reliever walked the first two batters he faced in the inning before enticing a ground ball to third that Drew Smith fielded and then turned a 5-4-3 double play. He got the final out of the eighth on a line drive to Miranda before retiring UCLA's two, three and four hitters in order in the ninth to lock up the win.

"Our team doesn't quit," Brooks said. "That is the kind of stuff we pride ourselves on. Our standard is we don't ever quit. We are going to keep going until the last out is made. I'd say we didn't quit. We went through the whole game and it was a great win for us. Just awesome."

How It Happened: Things did not start well for Oregon after losing game one of the series 11-1 on a run-rule shortened game on Friday. The Bruins (45-5, 25-1 Big Ten) scored four runs in the bottom of the first, with three coming after Oregon couldn't complete what should have been an inning-ending strike-em out, throw-em out double play.

The Ducks came right back in the second inning scoring four runs to tie the game. Laya led off the second with a double into the right-field corner before Molony drew a base on balls. Miranda drove in Laya with a double of his own to right field to get the Ducks on the board. Naulivou Lauaki Jr. tied it blasting a 422-foot homer off the top of the batter's eye in center field.

UCLA took the lead right back in the third inning on a Will Gasparino solo homer and then held the lead until the top of the seventh. Oregon scratched a run together a run to tie it in the seventh. Brooks walked and swiped second, before moving to third on a balk. Ryan Cooney facing hard-throwing reliever Cal Randall grounded one to Cholowsky at short who had no play but at force allowing Brooks to tie it.

Cholowsky put the Bruins back in front belting a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh, setting up Oregon's final rally from behind.

Box Score Notes: The Ducks handed UCLA their first Big Ten loss of the season and snapped the Bruins 27-game conference winning streak … Oregon outhit UCLA 9-7 … Three Oregon pitchers – Collin Clarke, Cal Scolari and Bradley – combined for 11 strikeouts … Scolari fanned six of the 11 batters he faced … The win over the No. 1 team in the nation was the fourth in program history, with three of those coming against the Bruins.

On Deck: The Ducks and Bruins play rubber match in the series tomorrow with a 12:02 p.m. first pitch.