Mulivai Levu struck out with two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the third.

But the ball got away from Oregon catcher Bennett Thompson.

Thompson’s throw evaded the first baseman, and two Bruins scored – they took a 4-1 lead against the top team in the conference.

Suddenly, however, the score shrunk back to one.

Upon review, Levu was ruled out of the basepaths and the strikeout would stand as just that – a strikeout.

The inning was ruled over before the two runs scored, and the Bruins faltered the rest of the way, leading Oregon (21-7, 7-3 Pac-12) to defeat UCLA baseball (11-16, 4-9) by a score of 8-4 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday.

“It definitely hasn’t been easy for any of us over the last few weeks,” said senior right-hander Caedon Kottinger. “We’ve all been keeping each other up and just trying to keep chugging along.

Starter Luke Jewett went just four innings while conceding five runs. The junior right-hander allowed four runs – after the reversed call – including a two-run home run from Oregon first-baseman Jacob Walsh that cleared the right field scoreboard.

“We didn’t play a clean game,” said coach John Savage. “Our starting pitcher really didn’t give us a chance.”

The Bruins then turned to the pair of senior right-handers, Kottinger and JonJon Vaughns – a stark contrast from the trio of freshmen who powered Tuesday’s win against Loyola Marymount.

Kottinger tied his season high with two innings pitched and surrendered no earned runs. Vaughns, who began the game as the Bruins’ designated hitter, took the mound in the seventh inning of a two-run game and tossed three innings.

Vaughns previously pitched three innings in his entire collegiate career.

“I mean, we’re as thin as it comes,” Savage said on UCLA’s pitching depth. “I’ve never been this thin. I’ve never seen it like this, so few guys that are available. … We just don’t have enough arms.”

After the game, Savage said junior shortstop Cody Schrier suffered a fractured index finger during Tuesday’s contest against LMU and will be evaluated week by week.

Freshman infielder Roch Cholowsky shifted over to shortstop, and freshman infielder Roman Martin took third.

Martin – who entered the game with the third most errors on the team behind only Schirer and Cholowsky – added a sixth error to open a four-run fourth inning for Oregon and tied himself for the team lead.

“We can play better and do the fundamental things better,” said redshirt junior outfielder AJ Salgado, who hit a game-tying opposite-field long ball Friday. “We just keep doing that, it’ll go in our favor.”