Oregon rightfielder Aaron Jones@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205072604&Q_SEASON=2011@@ hit two home runs and starting pitcher Alex Keudell@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1599975&Q_SEASON=2011@@ threw seven scoreless innings to lead the No. 22 Ducks to a 6-2 win over No. 5 UCLA in Southern California.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1599975&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Keudell improved to 4-3 and lowered his ERA to 1.87 with yet another masterful performance.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/450244.pdf?ATCLID=205382700&SPSID=333749&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ Keudell has now thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to Oregon’s March 23 win over Utah.
On Thursday night, Keudell shut down a UCLA offense that entered play with the Pac-12’s second-best team-batting average.@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/lgteams.htm@@ The Bruins had also won 18 of their past 20 games entering play. Yet, Keudell allowed only nine baserunners over seven innings and, after a somewhat shaky start, kept the Bruin offense well in check.@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/2011-2012/ucla26.html@@
But while Keudell’s strong outing was once again the story, Oregon’s offense, which scored only eight runs in last weekend’s three-game sweep of Arizona State,@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@ exploded against UCLA ace Adam Plutko (4-2).@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/2011-2012/ucla26.html@@ The Ducks opened the scoring in the second inning on an RBI single by Connor Hofmann and scored runs in three out of the next five innings to distance themselves from UCLA.@@see above@@
In the third inning, J.J. Altobelli led off with a single, and after second baseman Aaron Payne flew out, Jones connected on his first home run of the game to give the Ducks a 3-0 advantage.@@see above@@
Oregon widened its lead in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs with two outs.@@see above@@ After third baseman Shaun Heineman lined out and catcher Brett Hambright grounded out, Hofmann drew a walk. Next up, Altobelli doubled down the left field line. Both Altobelli and Hofmann scored on a two-RBI double by Payne to push Oregon’s lead to 5-0.
Jones added his second home run of the game to lead off the seventh inning and give Oregon a 6-0 lead.@@see above@@
Meanwhile, after stranding runners in each of the first two innings, UCLA’s offense went dormant against Keudell. The Bruins failed to advance another runner to third base until the ninth inning, by which time Keudell was out of the game and Oregon had a six-run lead.
Duck freshman Tommy Thorpe closed the game for Oregon, allowing two runs over the final two innings.@@see above@@ Three Bruin relievers — Zack Weiss, Chase Brewer, and Madison Poole — pitched the game’s final 4 2/3 innings in relief of Plutko.
Oregon and UCLA will continue their three-game series in Southern California today. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@