BERKELEY – No. 24 California was unable to slow the offensive momentum of the No. 2 Oregon Ducks, allowing a trio of homers in a seven-run frame to punctuate a six-inning 13-0, run-rule to open the series on Thursday at Levine-Fricke Field.
 
The Bears (34-17, 7-14 Pac-12), who were without their two starting pitchers Zoe Conley and Kamalani Dung, mixed it up in the circle bringing in freshman Mikayla Coelho, typically an outfielder, to open the game. The Tracy, Calif., native held Ducks to a single run in the opening two frames behind a solid defensive effort, but could not maintain after that.

Cal allowed three more runs in the top of the third as Oregon scored a run in each of the following innings leading up to the decisive seven-score half.
 
Senior pitcher Kristin Cullen came in as relief in the fourth and kept the ledger from being too unfavorably tilted until the sixth, when the string of homers came in. Coelho, who was credited with the loss, returned to close things out throwing 3.1 innings on the day, giving up six hits, five runs and four walks. Cullen recorded the lone strikeout of the game in her 2.2 innings pitched and gave up nine hits, eight runs and no walks.
 
The Ducks, who are in contention for a Pac-12 title with top-ranked UCLA, finished with 15 hits, the most allowed by the Bears this season.
 
Play continues on Friday at 3 p.m. (PT) and will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.  
 
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