EUGENE, Ore. – The No. 15 California softball team fell 5-2 to Oregon in the series finale at Jane Sanders Stadium on Saturday afternoon.   

Elon Butler hit her conference-leading 10^th home run and Tatum Anzaldo added a pair of hits for the Golden Bears (21-4, 1-2 Pac-12). Ariel Carlson had two hits for the Ducks (14-9, 2-1 Pac-12).

It was a pitcher's duel through two complete innings with each team managing just a single at the plate. The Bears' bats woke up in the third with singles from Kyndal Todd, Anzaldo and Lagi Quiroga, but a flyout with the bases loaded ended the threat.

Oregon was able to break through in the home half, scoring a run on a squeeze bunt to take a 1-0 lead. With the bases full and one down, Cal went to Randi Roelling out of the bullpen. The Ducks added one more on a sacrifice fly before Acacia Anders made a leaping snag at shortstop to end the inning with Oregon leading 2-0.

The Bears were able to get on the board in the fourth when Alyssa Herrera hit a sacrifice fly to plate Anders after she started the frame with a walk. The Ducks extended the lead right away however, scoring two unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Cal tried to rally late starting with Butler's solo home run in the sixth, but couldn't get anything else going as Oregon took the series.

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Cal opens its home Pac-12 slate with the Big Series vs. Stanford March 15-17 at Levine-Fricke Field.

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