by Rob Moseley

Editor, GoDucks.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — It's been more than two years since the Oregon softball team last lost consecutive games. The Ducks will look to extend that streak Saturday, and extend their season a little longer.

The No. 2 Ducks face a tough road to the Women's College World Series title after dropping their opening game at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, 7-1 on Thursday to Pac-12 rival UCLA. The Bruins used two solo home runs in the second, a big sixth inning and clutch defense with UO runners on base to advance in the winner's bracket, while the Ducks will face Alabama in an elimination game on Saturday (11:30 a.m. PT, ESPN).

Oregon (51-7) will need to win two elimination games Saturday, then two more Sunday to reach the three-game championship series that starts Monday.

"At this stage is really comes down to getting a little bit of luck," UO coach Mike White said. "And you've got to have the talent. We had the talent; we didn't get the luck. UCLA played very well, excellent defense; Ally Carda made some excellent pitches.

"Now we have to come out and rebound, and get after Alabama. Play for our life, so to speak."

UCLA (51-10) got all the offense it needed in the second, when Stephany LaRosa homered to lead off the inning and Gabrielle Maurice went deep with two out. The Bruins added five insurance runs in the sixth; it looked like UO starter Cheridan Hawkins was going to escape after allowing two singles to open the inning, but a two-out flyball went in and out of right fielder Alyssa Gillespie's glove to spark a rally.

Oregon had no such luck. Janie Takeda was thrown out trying to take third on a one-out single by Jenna Lilley in the first inning. In the third, Takeda came up with two on and one out and lined a shot that Carda gloved to start a double play.

"You can go back over the game thousands of times in your head and think about what happened, what you could have done," said Takeda, who is mired in a 1-for-12 slump since the start of Super Regionals. "The most important thing now is to take the positives, reflect on mistakes and fix them next time we step on the field."

The Ducks loaded the bases with two out in the fourth — usually when they break through against an opposing pitcher — but Gillespie's shot down the third-base line was gloved by UCLA's Mysha Sataraka, who touched the base to end the inning. The Bruins made another web gem in the fifth, when Nikki Udria led off with a low liner that was snared by center fielder Allexis Bennett.

Oregon, which averages more than seven runs per game, was nearly shut out for just the second time this season. The Ducks avoided that fate in the bottom of the seventh when Koral Costa doubled and scored on a Lauren Lindvall single.

"They never quit," White said. "They keep trying, keep trying. The game comes down to inches; is just didn't go our way today. The biggest thing for us now is bouncing back and getting ready to play Alabama."

The game was delayed by a lightning threat for 49 minutes between the second and third innings. UO football assistant coach Scott Frost was in attendance, and spoke to the team during the delay about Oregon football's rally under similar circumstances at Tennessee in 2010. In this case, history did not repeat itself.

UCLA avenged a series loss to the Ducks from back in April. The Ducks responded to a series-opening defeat back then by winning two straight. Now they'll try to bounce back again after a loss to the Bruins, and avoid losing two straight games for the first time since May 9-10, 2013, against Arizona State.

"We're pretty determined," Hawkins said. "At moments today we didn't make every pitch count, (but) we do a good job of learning from our mistakes. The most we can do is compete on Saturday. Obviously nobody likes losing. We're going to come out aggressive, attack, play Oregon softball and see what happens."

Only two teams have won the Women's College World Series after losing their opening game. The last, coincidentally, was UCLA in 2003.

Oregon lost its WCWS opener in 2012, and responded with one win before being eliminated. The Ducks will try to stay alive a little longer this time around, beginning Saturday.