UCLA Handles Oregon to Sweep Series

Team Celebration (Photo by Scott Chandler), recap courtesy of UCLA.

Box Score (PDF)

Watch:  Kyle Molnar Postgame Interview

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Bruins finished off a three-game sweep of the Oregon Ducks with a resounding, 13-1, win on Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. This marks the second Pac-12 home series sweep of the season for the Bruins.

The UCLA offense was on point, racking up 14 hits in total. The output was evenly distributed as six different players finished with two hits and four players finished with two RBI. Luke Persico (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) finished with a pair of hits and RBI, launching his second home run of the season to aid the effort.

Kyle Molnar (3-4) was terrific, allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings, adding five
strikeouts to get the win. Oregon starter David Peterson (3-3) received the loss after allowing seven runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings of work.

For the second consecutive night, UCLA (19-18, 9-9) put a four-spot on the board in the opening frame to jump out in front of the Ducks. The Bruins brought ten men to the plate and got a two-run home run from Persico to get the scoring started. Christoph Bono added an RBI-single and Trent Chatterton drove in another on a fielder’s choice to put UCLA up, 4-0.

The Bruins then put the game away with a six-run fifth inning, plating all six runs with two outs. After the second out was recorded, seven-straight UCLA batters reached base. RBI-doubles from Daniel Rosica and Brett Stephens, paired with a two-RBI-single from Kort Peterson, an RBI-single from Brett Urabe and a run scoring walk gave the Bruins a ten-run advantage.

UCLA didn’t stop there, tacking on three more runs in the sixth. Doubles from Eric Filia and Stephens provided the punch as the Bruins extended their lead to 13.

Oregon (17-16, 7-6) finally got on the board with a run in the top of the ninth, but that would be it for the Ducks as UCLA captured a 12-run win to seal the series sweep.

The Bruins now hit the road to take on the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30pm PT. The game can be seen live on ESPNU or heard live on uclabruins.com.

Notes: Eric Filia has now reached base in 36 of 37 games this season…Brett Stephens recorded his fourth career two-double game and tied single game season-highs with two runs and two RBI…Daniel Rosica scored a single game career-high tying two runs…Luke Persico scored a single game season-high two runs…Persico led the team, going 7-for-11 (.636) this weekend with one home run, three runs and a team-high four RBI…This is UCLA’s first series sweep of Oregon since 2011…UCLA has now won four games in-a-row.