Oregon pitcher Morgan Scott was locked in the moment she first stepped inside the circle during its 3-0 win against No. 3 UCLA on Friday.
Through seven innings, she recorded four strikeouts and allowed two hits.
The Ducks were playing their third top-10 opponent in three weeks. Ahead of the game against the Bruins, they were 5-5 against ranked opponents this season.
Scott set the tone for the game, denying the Bruins of any hits in the first.
“I think Morgan’s coming into her own,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “You can see she’s settling in and understanding what she’s wanting to do. Our team just rallies around her and just the energy she gives off guys want to play really, really hard for her.”
Terra McGowan gave the Ducks the lead at the bottom of the inning off a solo home run. The Ducks’ home run leader was due for one after going 0-for-11 at-bat in the previous series against Stanford.
Oregon doubled its lead in the third on a run batted in by KK Humphreys. It had an opportunity to add more runs with runners on second and third, but could not capitalize.
The Ducks scored their final run in the fifth inning. McGowan had her second RBI on the double to center field. The Ducks had another chance for a multiple-run inning, but the Bruins’ defense kept the damage minimal.
“To stick with their game plan, there might have been some tonight that didn’t go our way tonight, but just to keep swinging with confidence and trusting in what they’re doing,” Lombardi said.
With a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh, Oregon left the door open for a UCLA comeback. But the Bruins were never able to figure out Scott’s timing. The Ducks delivered a statement win following a three up three down inning.
“Yes it’s UCLA but at the same time they’re just another softball team,” Scott said. “Any day anyone can win, anyone can lose. I feel like today we obviously had our best stuff. As long as we keep doing that every day, we’re just going to keep winning.”
Oregon will continue its bid to win its first series of the conference season. It matches up with UCLA for game two on Saturday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
