UCLA
Loyola Marymnt
Softball Improves to 42-1, Sweeps Loyola Marymount
June 21, 1999 | Softball
April 15, 1999
LOS ANGELES - UCLA catcher/first baseman Stacey Nuveman hit her 21st home run of the season Wednesday, breaking the UCLA single-season home run record, powering the No. 1 ranked UCLA softball team to a sweep of Loyola Marymount 3-0 and 8-0 at UCLA's Easton Softball Stadium. With the two victories, UCLA improves to 42- 1 on the season, while Loyola Marymount falls to 33-20.
Nuveman, who set the record in 1997 after hitting 20 in her freshman campaign, broke the record again in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader, blasting a two-run shot off LMU pitcher Jenny Hart in the first inning. She tied the record in game one on a solo shot to left field. Only a sophomore, she broke the UCLA career home run record earlier this season, recording the 31st of her career in a Feb. 28 game against Long Beach State. She now has 41 for her two-year UCLA career. The reigning Pac-10 Player-of-the-Week, Nuveman finished the afternoon 3-for-7 with five RBI and two runs scored.
With UCLA's 3-0 game-one victory, Bruin pitcher Courtney Dale improved her record to 21-0 on the season, striking out 12 LMU batters, while giving up just four hits and no walks in seven-complete innings. Dale, the reigning NFCA National Player-of-the-Week, picked up her eighth shutout of the year, owning an impressive 1.12 ERA on the season.
In game one, UCLA got on the board early, going ahead 1-0 on a Lyndsey Klein RBI sacrifice fly in the first inning. She was followed by Nuveman's home run that put the Bruins up 2-0. UCLA added another run in the third inning on an RBI-double by Christie Ambrosi, who was 3-for-3 at the plate in game one.
In the second game of the afternoon, UCLA again added two runs in the first inning, then exploded for a five-run third inning, powered by a Julie Marshall two-RBI homer. With a seven-run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, UCLA won the game on a bases loaded fielder's choice by Nuveman, scoring Ambrosi from third.
Freed, UCLA's game-two starter, had a no-hitter heading into the top of the sixth inning, but was forced to settle for a one-hit shutout. She struck out eight, walking just one, to improve to 18-1 on the season with a team-best 0.98 ERA.
For the Lions, Daphne Vadman was 2-for-2 in game one, while pitcher Jennifer Heliotes held the Bruins to five hits, giving up just one earned run in the loss. In game two, Melinda Franquillo broke up Freed's no-hitter with her sixth-inning single to center.
The Bruins travel to Oregon this weekend for doubleheaders with No. 14 Oregon on Saturday in Eugene and No. 12 Oregon State on Sunday in Corvallis.
