The Oregon Ducks defeated the UCLA Bruins in the final game of their three-game series, winning the series 2-1. The Ducks win on Sunday takes them to 22-8 on the season, and could move them further up the ladder in Baseball America’s Top 25.
In game one, Oregon won 8-4 with their strongest offensive game of the series. Jeffery Heard and Drew Smith led the way for the Ducks, each grabbing three hits and 2 RBIs. Heard continues to be Oregon’s most consistent hitter, with a season batting average of .354 in over 100 at-bats.
The Ducks bats cooled off in game two on Saturday, and the Bruins won 3-4. After the fifth inning, Oregon failed to bring a runner across the plate, and in the bottom of the tenth inning, the Bruins manufactured the winning run.
In Sunday’s game, which the Ducks won 6-3, Oregon had a monster third inning, which carried them to the win. Both Jacob Walsh and Maddox Molony homered in the third, and three other Ducks doubled for a five-run inning. Walsh’s home run made him Oregon’s all-time leader in career home runs.
Oregon’s pitchers had solid outings across the board this weekend. All three starters pitched at least five innings and none of them conceded more than three earned runs. The Ducks bullpen continues to be elite as well, combining for 10.1 innings pitched on the weekend with just one earned run.
Next week, Oregon will have a two-game series against Sacramento State, and then they will play three games against the USC Trojans over the weekend. Both series will be at home.