No. 24 Oregon softball loses back-to-back games to No. 14 UCLA in rain-shortened series
Oregon's weekend in Los Angeles ended a day early as the final game of its Pac-12 softball series against UCLA was dropped Saturday due to rain and standing water on the field at Easton Stadium.
The cancellation of the series finale prevented the No. 24 Ducks (20-12, 7-1 Pac-12) from getting one last chance to steal a win from the No. 14 Bruins (20-8, 6-2), who were victorious in the first two games.
The losses on Thursday and Friday marked the first time Oregon has lost back-to-back games during the Pac-12 season. The Ducks had won five straight before facing UCLA.
Here's how the games played out for the Ducks.
Game 1: UCLA 5, Oregon 3
Paige Sinicki and Katie Flannery hit their first home runs of the season for the Ducks, but the Bruins scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and get the win.
Sinicki put Oregon up 1-0 in the third with her eighth career homer and first since May 20, 2022, though UCLA scored three in the bottom half of the inning to go up 3-1.
Flannery got a run back for the Ducks with a two-out home run in the top of the fourth, and Emma Kauf tied the score with an RBI double in the sixth.
Game 2: UCLA 6, Oregon 3
The Ducks, who fell behind by five runs early, had the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh but couldn't capitalize.
The Bruins led 6-1 after a four-run fourth, but Oregon tried to rally in the seventh when it sent eight batters to the plate, scored two runs on RBI singles by KK Humphreys and Hanna Delgado, and had the bases loaded when Kai Luschar popped out to end the game.
Ariel Carlson drove in a run in the third with her ninth double of the season and ended the game as the Pac-12's leader in RBIs with 37.
Carlson, Luschar, Flannery and Humphreys all had two hits.
What's next for Oregon?
The Ducks return home to host No. 9 Washington for a three-game series at Jane Sanders Stadium. They play Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (5 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.), with all three games airing on the Pac-12 Networks.
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Pac-12: Oregon softball drops two to UCLA in weather-shortened series
