Drubbed on Friday, Oregon comeback bid fizzles badly on Sunday

What looked like a stirring comeback turned into disappointment on Sunday as Oregon took a 6-1 lead in the fourth but the relief pitching faltered over the final four innings, wasting a strong start by Miles Gosztola.

The Bruins scored eight unaswered runs to win 9-6, the bullpen allowing seven of them.

It could have been a first step toward claiming a home slot in the NCAA Tournament, but losing two of three to the first-place Bruins will hurt them. They close the regular season with a three-game series against USC Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

When UCLA ripped three singles in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, it looked like the No. 1 Bruins were back to their dominating 25-1 ways.

They'd crushed the Ducks 11-1 in seven innings on Friday, but Oregon rallied for four runs in the eighth inning on Saturday night to even the series, winning 9-6 over a squad that hadn't lost a game in Big Ten play.

Brayden Jaksa blasted a 417-foot, three-run homer in the fourth inning as the Oregon Ducks went into Los Angeles took two of three from No. 1 UCLA.

In all the Ducks struck for five runs in the decisive fourth, igniting the inning after Maddux Molony reached on a passed ball third strike and Gabe Miranda reached on an error. Jack Brooks dropped a single into right center to give Oregon the lead, then Ryan Cooney made it 3-1 on sacrifice fly, robbed at the wall UCLA leftfielder Dean West.

A transfer from Gonzaga, Oregon starting pitcher Gosztola struck out nine over 5.1 innings of work, retiring nine in row after allowing a third inning infield single while holding the potent Bruin lineup to two runs. He struck out the side in the fourth, and he struck out Bruins star Roch Cholowsky twice, though the Big Ten MVP shortstop touched him for a solo home run leading off the sixth, making it 6-2.

UCLA creeps back in striking for runs in the sixth and seventh

The home nine got another run when hitting star Jaksa misplayed a double to left, closing within 6-3.

They got runners at the corners with one out in the 7th and Cholowsky, who'd already hit three bombs against Oregon pitching, due up.

The Ducks went to the bullpen for their fourth pitcher, righthander Devin Bell, their closer. Cholowsky got the first-place Bruins with two, 6-4, scorching one into left.

Second baseman Ryan Cooney and Shortstop Maddux Molony ended the threat with a double play, taking it himself at the bag.

The Ducks needed some runs with the home squad creeping back into the game.

Gabe Miranda singled to lead off the eighth, but Lauaki, Brooks and Cooney went down in order. The Bruins threatened again in their half, getting runners at the corners with two out when Dugger punched a single through the right side, tying run on first with two outs.

Pinch hitter Aiden Espinoza lifted a soft single to left and the Oregon lead shrunk to one, 6-5. Still two on, pitching coach Matt Florer called on Tanner Bradley a righthander from Cotati, California. The sophomore had held opponents to a .133 average, but he hit the first batter he saw on his first pitch.

The ninth-place hitter Call appeared to lean into the pitch, but upon review the call stood, bringing leadoff hitter Dean West to the plate with the bases loaded.

West rocketed the first pitch he saw deep to right center, a grand slam home run to take a 9-6 lead, capping a five-run eighth. Oregon's comeback bid fell apart, first gradually and then suddenly. Bradley had allowed just two home runs all year.

The Ducks went down in order in the ninth.

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