05/24/26 07:08:00
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05/24 19:06 CDT Phoenix Call's walk-off HBP lifts UCLA to Big Ten Championship,
3-2 over Oregon in 11 innings
Phoenix Call's walk-off HBP lifts UCLA to Big Ten Championship, 3-2 over Oregon
in 11 innings
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) --- Phoenix Call was grazed by a pitch with two outs and the
bases full in the bottom of the 11th inning and UCLA defeated Oregon 3-2 on
Sunday to win the Big Ten Championship.
It was the top-seeded and top-ranked Bruins' third walk-off win of the
tournament and they benefited from two close calls in the winning rally. With
nobody out in the 11th, Roman Martin advanced from second to third on a bunt by
Jarrod Hocking. Martin was called safe on the tight play and the ruling stood
after Oregon challenged the call.
The play loaded the bases and after Devin Bell struck out two UCLA batters,
Call was hit on the shoulder by a pitch from Bell, allowing Martin to score.
Again, the play was challenged and stood up to review, giving the Bruins the
Big Ten title in their second season in the conference.
No. 14 Oregon, the third seed, led 2-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth
inning but UCLA's Aidan Espinoza tied it with an RBI single to right field.
UCLA's Will Gasparino drove in the game's first run with a triple in the fourth
inning. He was then caught in a rundown and tagged out. Ultimately, he was
ejected for malicious contact on the play, adding to the contentious rivalry
between the two former Pac-12 teams. Earlier in May, an assistant coach from
each team was ejected during a series in Eugene.
The Ducks took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning when Burke-Lee Mabeus and
Naulivou Lauaki hit back-to-back home runs. Oregon had one runner reach base in
the final five innings.
UCLA defeated Purdue in the quarterfinals on a walk-off sacrifice fly by
Mulivai Levu and his three-run home run in the ninth inning knocked off USC in
the semifinals.
Oregon, like UCLA, is a second-year member of the Big Ten.
Up next
The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday. -__
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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