And yet, after rallying for a 5-3 victory over the Bruins at PK Park, the 10th-ranked Ducks again found reason to feel good about themselves on a Sunday despite losing the first two games in the series.
Most importantly, the Ducks (29-10, 13-5 Pac-12) remain in virtual tie with Oregon State (30-8, 11-4) atop the Pac-12 Conference baseball standings.
"These guys always amaze me," UO coach George Horton said of his team. "They're not afraid to get up off the deck and do something about it. The way they respond to things is pretty spectacular."
The Ducks were shut out 1-0 both Friday and Saturday, managing a combined seven hits in those two games against a stout UCLA (25-11, 9-6) pitching staff.
Aaron Payne finally got Oregon on the board Sunday with an RBI single to score J.J. Altobelli in the third inning against UCLA left-hander Grant Watson (5-3).
Scott Heineman then delivered the game's biggest hit with a two-out, bases-loaded triple to the opposite-field gap in right-center in the fifth, scoring three runs to give the Ducks a 5-3 lead. Heineman, the reigning Pac-12 player of the week, was 0 for 8 in the series before hitting a first-pitch fastball from reliever Ryan Deeter all the way to the wall.
It was Heineman's first at-bat against Deeter, whom he called "one of my best friends." Heineman's brother, Tyler, was UCLA's starting catcher last year, and Tyler Heineman and Deeter were roommates.
"Pitchers dominated all weekend ... and we were waiting for that big hit," said Heineman, who is hitting .328 since the start of Pac-12 play.
Heineman stepped to the plate for that at-bat feeling like he "owed" starter Jake Reed. Heineman had made an error in right field in the top of the fifth that advanced a runner and helped the Bruins take a 3-1 lead.
Oregon's defense committed six errors in the three-game series; entering the series, the Ducks had made just 16 errors in 36 games to lead the nation with a .988 fielding percentage.
The defensive blunders seemed long gone after Heineman's bases-clearing triple.
"When Heineman (hit) that ball in the gap," Horton said, "you could feel the whole dugout just kind of relax a little bit. The swagger came back."
The Ducks improved to 21-0 when leading after five innings. They also improved to 7-1 in Sunday games this season. Four of those Sunday wins have come against ranked opponents — Cal State Fullerton, Vanderbilt, Arizona State and, now, UCLA — after the Ducks had dropped the first two games in the series. So give the Ducks credit for, at least, preventing bad situations from getting even worse.
"I definitely think it's a prideful thing," Reed said. "You don't want to get swept, especially on your home field. I knew going into today that our offense was going to break through and break it open."
Reed (5-3), making his second Sunday start after being demoted from Friday's "ace" role, allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. He noted that baseball can be "a cruel game" after he got the win Sunday while Oregon's Friday and Saturday starters, Tommy Thorpe and Cole Irvin — who allowed a combined one earned run in 16 innings — both took losses.
"I feel bad for those guys," Reed said, "but it was great for us to get the win."
Oregon relievers Christian Jones, Garrett Cleavinger and Jimmie Sherfy combined threw three scoreless innings Sunday. Sherfy picking up his NCAA-leading 13th save in another dominant ninth inning; his fastball hit 96 mph on the radar and he saved his best pitch, an 86 mph slider, to finish off UCLA's Shane Zeile on a swinging strike three.
It was a perfect ending to what could've been a really bad weekend.
-- Adam Jude