Ducks Prevail in Heavyweight Bout at UCLA, 13-11

Saturday, May 2

Los Angeles, CA

1:30 PM

University of Oregon

40-10, 20-3

UCLA

44-7, 19-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	1	2	3	3	0	0	4	13	16	1
UCLA	2	4	0	0	2	0	3	11	13	3

05/02/26 | Softball

Box Score #11 Oregon 13, #5 UCLA 11

LOS ANGELES — No. 11 Oregon scored the most runs it ever has against UCLA Saturday at Easton Stadium and needed nearly every single one as the Ducks outlasted the fifth-ranked Bruins, 13-11, to win their 16^th straight Big Ten series.

Stefini Ma'ake went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs for Oregon while Amari Harper was 3-for-4 with a home run.

Katie Flannery also homered and Addison Amaral delivered a pinch-hit double that brought the Ducks back from a 6-3 deficit.

Oregon (40-10, 20-3) withstood five UCLA home runs to chalk up a come-from-behind victory for the 20^th time this season.

"I just loved our fight, our resilience," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "This entire team did everything they needed to do to find a way to win that ballgame.

"Our defense was excellent. They're so proud of our offense and how they kept just passing the bat and flipping the lineup, and I loved our pitching staff. (UCLA) can absolutely swing it and to work together and to find a way to get a win was huge."

How It Happened: Both teams started scoring early and often. In fact, there were only four scoreless half innings out of 14 in the game.

Harper fouled off a couple of pitches before lining her 15^th home run of the season over the wall in right field to get things started in the first inning for the Ducks.

"Against a great offense like this, we're going to have to jump ahead and jump on them," said Harper. "So whether that is a home run, whether that's a walk or hit by a pitch, whatever it looks like, just make sure we get the simple things done and just try to start a rally."

The Bruins (44-7, 19-4) answered with a two-run home run from Megan Grant in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.

UCLA's lead was short-lived. In the second inning after Ayanna Shaw singled over third base, Flannery hit a high drive out down the left field line as the Ducks retook the lead at 3-2.

The lead changed for the third time in the game when the Bruins hit a pair of two-run home runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-3 advantage.

The Ducks fought back to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the third.

Singles by Ma'ake, Taryn Ho and Rylee McCoy loaded the bases. With two outs, Amaral doubled into center to score Ma'ake and Ho and then McCoy came home with the tying run when the throw in from the outfield got away from third base.

"Just living for the moment and she's putting a good swing on the ball," said Lombardi of Amaral's effort off the bench. "She's getting good at having really, really good at bats, and just taking advantage of her opportunities.

"That's what I love," said Lombardi. "Whether she's starting today or coming in, she's going to be in the game and we're going to put her in a big moment."

Taylour Spencer struck out a UCLA batter, and then induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the bottom of the third, which was the first scoreless frame of the game.

Oregon scored three times in the top of the fourth to move back in front for good, 9-6.

With Elon Butler on first after being hit by a pitch, Harper doubled, putting runners on second and third with one out for Ma'ake. The Ducks' hottest hitter roped a double down the left field line on the first pitch she saw to plate both Butler and Harper for an 8-6 lead.

"At the plate mentality wise, I was just thinking hit the ball hard somewhere," said Ma'ake. "Because if the ball gets hit hard, it goes somewhere."

Presley Lawton, who pinch-ran for Ma'ake, went to third on Kaylynn Jones' single and then scored the Ducks' ninth run of the game when a pick off attempt at first went into the right field corner.

UCLA All-American Jordan Woolery hit a two-run home run in the bottom of fifth that cut Oregon's lead to one, 9-8.

Holding on to that one run lead, Elise Sokolsky relieved in the bottom of the sixth and with no outs and runners on first and second, got Jolyna Lamar to hit into a double play that forced the two lead runners at third and second. Sokolsky then got out of the inning by inducing Grant to hit a grounder to Jones at second.

The Ducks added some much-needed insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Shaw reached on a fielding error at first. An out later after Butler walked, Harper singled through the middle to bring Shaw home from second and make it a 10-8 game. With two outs, Ma'ake came through again with an RBI single that increased Oregon's lead to three.

Jones then drove in what would turn out to be the winning runs with a triple into right that scored both Harper and Ma'ake.

Down by five, the Bruins did not go quietly in the bottom of the seventh. The first two runners reached before Bre Alejandre crushed a three-run home run to left field that left Oregon holding on to a 13-11 lead.

But Sokolsky retired the next three batters in order on a foul out, a ground out and a fly out to left that earned Sokolsky her fourth save of the season.

Notable: The Ducks won a series at Easton Stadium for the first time since 2015 … Both Ma'ake (4) and Harper (3) tied their career high in hits … Nebraska swept a doubleheader from Penn State Saturday to clinch the Big Ten regular season title … The Ducks are locked into the No. 2 seed for next week's Big Ten Tournament and will be on the same side of the bracket as third-seeded UCLA.

Record Book: Butler moved into a tie for fourth in single-season runs at Oregon with 61 … Harper's 15^th home run of the year is tied for ninth on the UO single-season list.

Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi on the Ducks' 16^th straight series win...
"We take a lot of pride in that. It's something that we talk a lot about a lot. So for these guys to get this series today, just a tremendous effort by our entire team."

OF Amari Harper...
"I think it's huge, especially they don't lose very many games, so knowing that they're going to come out clawing and scratching for this one and just jumping on them from the jump and making them come out and play with us. It was awesome and it was huge for us to kind of keep it through the whole game."

1B Stefini Ma'ake on her 7-for-9 showing at the plate in two games versus UCLA...
"It was kind of funny because Trin (Trinity Holden) asked me, 'Are you seeing watermelons at the plate?' And I'm like, you know what? I'm just seeing the ball and hitting it. And so I think with my power it's just getting a good barrel on it."

Up Next: The Ducks and Bruins close out the regular season Sunday at 11 a.m. (Big Ten Network).