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Phoenix Call's walk-off HBP lifts UCLA to Big Ten Championship, 3-2 over Oregon in 11 innings
Phoenix Call was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th, sending Roman Martin home and giving UCLA its first Big Ten title.
On Sunday, UCLA defeated Oregon 3-2 in 11 innings at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to capture the Big Ten Championship. Phoenix Call was struck by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th, driving in the winning run.
Oregon surged ahead 2-1 in the sixth inning following back-to-back home runs from Burke-Lee Mabeus and Naulivou Lauaki Jr., countering UCLA's fourth-inning scoring. Will Gasparino had put the Bruins on the board with an RBI triple.
Tensions flared in the fourth when UCLA's Gasparino was ejected for malicious contact after colliding with Oregon third baseman Drew Smith. The Bruins forced extra innings in the ninth via Aidan Espinoza's two-out RBI single to right field.
In the 11th, Call secured the title after being struck by a pitch from Oregon reliever Devin Bell with the bases loaded, clinching the Bruins' first Big Ten championship. The play was upheld after video review.
The NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday, with the Ducks awaiting confirmation on whether they will host a regional round at PK Park in Eugene for the second consecutive season. Oregon's performance in the Big Ten Tournament strengthens its hosting candidacy.