RJ Gordon set multiple career highs in his best start of the season Friday, but the Oregon offense couldn’t get much going. The No. 20 Ducks lost 3-2 at Jackie Robinson Stadium to open a three-game series with the Bruins.

Both teams scored all their runs in a single half-inning. The Ducks scored both their runs on a two-run homer by Sam Novitske in the fifth, while the Bruins scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the sixth.

UCLA used its best starter Jake Brooks, who entered the evening with a 2.09 ERA. The Ducks looked to get out to a strong start against him, as Tanner Smith singled and Colby Shade worked a gutsy walk to begin the game. But Brennan Milone grounded into a double play and Jacob Walsh flew out to the warning track as Brooks put up a zero.

Gordon worked around a two-out double in a scoreless first inning. He followed that with a strong second, striking out back-to-back batters in a perfect frame.

Gordon hit the first batter he faced in the third, his fifth hit batsman of the year. UCLA catcher Tommy Beres — who, like Gordon, attended Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School — laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner. Gordon issued a walk and repeatedly pitched behind in the count, but his fourth and fifth strikeouts helped keep any runs off the board.

Meanwhile, Brooks settled in for UCLA. Josiah Cromwick and Josh Kasevich each recorded a hit, but Brooks navigated the Ducks’ lineup quickly through four innings.

In the fourth, Gordon struck out his career-high sixth batter. He fell into some trouble as the Bruins hit a pair of singles against him, but he induced a huge double play to get out of another jam. The game remained scoreless.

Brooks was the first to crack, as the Ducks finally got to him in the fifth. After Cromwick was hit by a pitch, Novitske blasted his second career home run to put Oregon up 2-0.

Gordon retired the side in order in the fifth inning, then set down the first two he faced in the sixth. It was the first time in Gordon’s career he pitched more than five innings in a game.

With two outs, Gordon gave up a single on a slider that he left over the middle of the plate. On his 102nd pitch of the evening, he gave up a two-run homer, tying the game at 2-2. He allowed a double to the next batter, ending his night after 106 pitches. His previous career high was 85.

Dylan Sabia entered and walked the first batter he faced. The next at-bat had to be paused momentarily as Sabia appeared to be bleeding around his ring finger. He returned to action relatively quickly, but he gave up a run-scoring single that gave UCLA a 3-2 lead.

The run was charged to Gordon, who originally began the inning by retiring the first two batters he faced. The Bruins’ three-spot flipped the momentum of the game.

Brooks settled back down after Novitske’s homer, efficiently mowing down the Ducks’ hitters. He got through eight innings on only 86 total pitches.

Just like Wednesday’s game against San Francisco, Oregon went into the ninth inning down 3-2. In the former game, the Ducks were able to tie it in the ninth and win in the 11th.

Oregon’s Jacob Walsh led off the ninth with a double. That brought an end to Brooks’ night and put the tying run in scoring position with no outs.

The Ducks couldn’t quite replicate Wednesday’s ninth-inning magic. UCLA freshman reliever Gage Jump retired Kasevich, Anthony Hall and Cromwick to strand Walsh at third base.

The game ended in a 3-2 Ducks loss.

Oregon (18-8) and UCLA (17-8) will continue with Game 2 of the series Saturday at 2 p.m.