Shutout Clinches Series for Ducks

Sunday, March 29

Goleta, Calif.

12:05 p.m.

University of Oregon

23-5

UC Santa Barbara

16-9

Oregon

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Zoe Rivers

03/29/26 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #20 Oregon 2, UC Santa Barbara 0 Photo Gallery

GOLITA, Calif. — A dominant performance from the Oregon pitching staff powered the Ducks to a 2-0 win over UC Santa Barbara in the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

Oregon (23-5) got six shutout innings and nine strikeouts from starting pitcher Cal Scolari (4-0) before turning things over to the bullpen. Tanner Bradley kept the Gauchos (16-9) scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, and Devin Bell closed things out in the ninth for his sixth save of the season.

The Ducks' offense managed just five hits, but freshman Angel Laya delivered a big swing in the fourth inning with a solo home run to give Oregon a 1-0 lead. Oregon pieced together an important insurance run in the ninth inning, scoring on a wild pitch to give Bell a two-run cushion.

The weekend series win was the sixth straight for the Ducks to open 2026 and their 13th in a row dating back to April 4-6, 2025. Oregon has now won 19 of 20 series since the start of the 2025 season.

How it Happened: Oregon threatened in the first inning with two runners in scoring position after a walk to Dominic Hellman and a double by Drew Smith, but the Gauchos were able to escape the jam. Scolari and UCSB starter Kellan Montgomery both worked around runners in scoring position over the next couple frames to keep the game scoreless going into the fourth.

Laya continued his terrific freshman campaign in the top of the fourth inning, breaking a scoreless tie with a long solo home run over the right-center field wall for a 1-0 lead. It was Laya's ninth home run of the season, just one shy of tying teammate Maddox Malony for the program freshman record.

Scolari was nearly unhittable over the next three innings, retiring nine of the next 10 batters he faced while racking up five strikeouts. His nine strikeouts on the game set a new season high as he recorded his second quality start.

The Ducks again put two runners in scoring position in the seventh but were unable to cash in. Bradley came on in relief of Scolari and bounced back from a one-out double to strike out the next two batters he saw and keep Oregon's lead at 1-0 going into the eighth.

Bradley set the Gauchos down in order in the eighth while adding a third strikeout, and Oregon's offense came up with a huge insurance run in the top of the ninth. Ryan Cooney tripled with one out and was replaced on third by Jax Gimenez after a hit-by-pitch and a fielder's choice. Following an intentional walk to Smith to load the bases, Gimenez was able to race home on a wild pitch to push Oregon's lead to 2-0.

Bell came on for the bottom of the ninth and bounced back from a one-out walk to induce a pair of flyouts to end the game and secure the win for the Ducks.

Box Score Notes: With a fifth-inning hit-by-pitch, Gimenez extended his reached base streak to 18 games, matching the second longest by a Duck this season … Gimenez reached base three times (2 HBP, BB) but saw his 14-game hitting streak end … Cooney recorded his second career triple and first of the season … Cooney finished 2-for-4, his 11th multi-hit performance of the season … Bradley threw multiple shoutout innings for the ninth time this season and has allowed just three earned runs in 21.2 innings of relief on the year.

On Deck: Oregon returns home for a single midweek game against Portland on Tuesday (5:05 p.m./B1G+) before hitting the road for a three-game weekend series at Michigan.