UCLA Drops Game One to Oregon

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EUGENE, Ore. – A six-run, third inning for #5-seed Oregon was too much for the 12th-seeded Bruins to overcome, as UCLA dropped an 8-1 decision on Saturday at the Eugene Super Regional at Jane Sanders Stadium.

The Bruins fell to 38-14-1, while the Ducks improved to 48-8. UCLA will need to beat Oregon twice on Sunday to advance to the Women's College World Series. Sunday's first game starts at 4 p.m., while the second if necessary contest will be at 7 p.m. Both tilts will be televised on ESPN2.

UCLA had just four singles in the game from senior Allexis Bennett, juniors Gabrielle Maurice and Delaney Spaulding and freshman Brianna Tautalafua. All three Bruin pitchers saw time in the circle. Sophomore Johanna Grauer started and gave up two hits and two walks in one-plus inning. Redshirt junior Paige McDuffee (5-1) struck out one in one-plus inning of relief, allowing six runs, five hits and one walk. Sophomore Selina Ta'amilo fanned one in four innings of relief, giving up two runs (one earned), two hits and one walk.

After the Bruins left a pair on base in both the first and third innings, the Ducks scored a half dozen in the bottom of the third, scoring their first and fourth runs on errors to go with an RBI double by Koral Costa, an RBI single from Geri Ann Glasco and a two-run homer by Janelle Lindvall.

The Bruins scored their lone run in bizarre fashion in the fourth. Sophomore Madeline Jelenicki reached on an error to start the inning, and one out later advanced to second on a wild pitch, with a single up the middle by Tautalafua putting runners at the corners. Freshman Paige Halstead then tapped a ball to second, with Tautalafua getting forced for the second out, as Jelenicki crossed with UCLA's first run. However, Halstead turned toward the dugout, appearing to abandon the base and was called out to end the inning.

Oregon padded its lead in the fifth with another two-run homer by Lindvall to make it 8-1, which proved to be the final score.