It all comes down to this. The No. 13 Oregon Ducks (36-13, 18-8 Big Ten) and the top-ranked UCLA Bruins (45-5, 25-1 Big Ten) will battle in the series rubber-match on Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles.
For the Ducks, the first two games in the series couldn’t have been more different. On Friday night, Oregon mustered just three hits as the Bruins tagged the Ducks for 11 runs in a run-rule win for UCLA.
Saturday night was different. UCLA jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but the Ducks weren’t going to go quietly again. A three-run homer from Naulivou Lauaki Jr. helped the Ducks tie the game in the second inning.
A back-and-forth affair ensued. Oregon’s endured a pair of blasts from UCLA’s star shortstop Roch Cholowsky, but the pitching staff kept the Ducks in the game. Finally, in the eighth inning, the Ducks turned the game upside down. A four-run rally, highlighted by Jack Brooks’ three-run double from the bottom of the lineup, gave Oregon the lead for good.
Tanner Bradley covered the final 2 ⅓ innings on the mound and delivered the biggest win of the season for the Ducks. The loss for UCLA snapped its 27-game win streak in Big Ten play, tied for the longest in conference history.
Now, all eyes are on the series finale. Oregon will hand the ball to left-hander Miles Gosztola (2-3, 3.98 ERA) on Sunday. Once the midweek starter, the Gonzaga transfer has drawn the last three Sunday starts for the Ducks. He allowed two runs and struck out four over 4 ⅔ innings in his last outing against Washington.
UCLA will try to rebound from its first conference loss of the season with right-hander Landon Stump (2-1, 4.91 ERA) on the hill. The junior has been roughed up in his last two starts, allowing 11 total runs and failing to escape the fourth inning in either outing.
A win for the Ducks would really help their chances of hosting a regional in the postseason, being the only team to claim a series over the Bruins this season.
Follow along with live inning-by-inning updates as the Ducks go for a big series victory on the road in Los Angeles. First pitch is scheduled for 12:02 p.m. PST. The game will stream live on BigTenPlus.com.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon baseball vs UCLA game 3; live updates, scores, analysis