Ducks Miss Series Sweep with Game 3 Loss to No. 1 UCLA

Oregon returns home to PK Park on Friday to host a three-game series with USC beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Photos of the Bruins and Ducks game by Michael Hjelmstad

(LOS ANGELES) - The game was closer than the score makes it seem, as UO threatened to come back all the way to the end of the 5-1 loss in Los Angeles Sunday. The difference in this series was early leads as this time it was UCLA jumping ahead scoring 4 runs in the first inning.

The Ducks appeared poised for a comeback with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, but the Bruin’s managed to hang on and avoid the series sweep.

The Ducks' only run came from Danny Pulfer’s RBI that scored Curtis Raulinaitis in the eighth. The Ducks are now 23-12 on the year and 6-6 in the Pac-10. By beating the No. 1 Bruins in the first two games UO won their fifth series of the season.

Oregon returns home to PK Park on Friday to host a three-game series with USC beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, according to goducks.com.

The Ducks are now 6-4 against ranked teams this season and 3-3 against teams ranked at No. 1 in the nation.

Top-ranked UCLA improves to 27-5 overall, and 5-4 in conference play.

Photo coverage of the Ducks game at UCLA by Michael Hjelmstad:

The Ducks played well, but never recovered from the 4-run first inning lead in front of the capacity crowd at Jackie Robinson Stadium. No. 1 UCLA took game 3, but UO took the series 2-1.

Ducks player is thrown out at second in UO's 5-1 loss to No. 1 UCLA in game three of the series.

UO tried to manufacture some runs with a bunt as No. 1 UCLA holds on to an early lead to win game three of the series 5-1.

Paul Kirby of Newport Beach, CA shows family support to the Oregon Ducks where his brother Mike Kirby is a coach.

A close call at first as the Ducks try to close on an early lead in game three of the series against No. 1 UCLA in Los Angeles.

Left Fielder for the Ducks backs up to the warning track but makes the catch in UO's loss to UCLA on Sunday.

Good game at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles as the Ducks lose game 3 but take home the series 2-1 against No. 1 UCLA.

(Editor's note: Michael Hjelmstad and I met in the Anbar province of Iraq when I was covering Marine operations in Iraq during the summer of 2008. Mike is another Los Angeles native who shares a common past both as a U.S. Marine and as a journalist. We at Salem-News.com sincerely appreciate Michael's great coverage of this event!)