Oregon Ducks Fall to UCLA in Dominant 8-0 Loss

EUGENE, Ore. – The fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks suffered a disappointing defeat on Saturday, losing 8-0 to the sixth-ranked UCLA Bruins in the second game of their three-game series at Jane Sanders Stadium, drawing a crowd of 2,571 fans.

The Ducks (40-5, 13-2) had won the series opener on Friday, 3-1, but faced a tough challenge in the middle game. With the final game of the series set for Sunday, the winner will not only take the series but also gain a crucial edge in the race for first place in the Big Ten Conference.

UCLA (40-6, 12-2) struck early, scoring two runs in the third inning and then exploded with six runs in the sixth. Oregon head coach, whose name was not fully provided, expressed disappointment in his team’s performance: “Today we didn’t manage how we normally handle ourselves. I don’t think we played well enough. It took us too long to make adjustments at the plate.”

In the circle, Oregon opened with , who pitched a perfect first inning with two strikeouts. The Ducks then substituted , a lefty, to face NCAA home run leader Megan Grant in the second inning. Despite the matchup, Grant was able to foul out, and the Bruins followed up by taking advantage of a fielding error and two wild pitches, pushing two runners across home plate in the third inning.

Sokolsky, who was charged with the loss, saw her record slip to 11-2 after UCLA’s late surge in the sixth inning. The Ducks’ pitching struggled as the game progressed, allowing six runs in a single inning. Coach Lombardi commented on the pitching strategy, noting, “As we got deeper into the game, we were not commanding the zone. We let too many big hits happen.”

Oregon’s offense struggled to find rhythm, managing just three hits throughout the game—all singles from players whose names were not fully provided. In contrast, UCLA’s Addisen Fisher was in control on the mound, limiting Oregon’s scoring opportunities.

The match coincided with the Ducks’ annual Bark in the Park day, which included many attendees bringing their pets to the game. Among the attendees was Thor, a canine from the University of Oregon Police Department. Despite the loss, some standout performances remained, including Grein, who has yet to allow a run to any top 25 team this season over 23.0 innings pitched. Grein is also closing in on her 400th career strikeout.

In a notable mention, Oregon has now stolen 46 bases this season, with individual records accumulating, including the Ducks’ school record total of 141 steals, tying a mark set by Indiana in 2019. Coach remarked about the game strategy, stating, “It was the strategy we were going with today. We felt that everybody needed to take strain, and I liked it. I would do it again despite the outcome.”

The final game in the series is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Jane Sanders Stadium, where it will be broadcast live on B1G+.