UCLA
Minnesota
NCAA Softball Regional Day Three Action
June 21, 1999 | Softball
May 22, 1999
LOS ANGELES - In NCAA Softball Regional action at UCLA's Easton Softball Stadium, top-seeded UCLA handed Minnesota its first loss of the tournament, 5-0. For the third consecutive game, a UCLA player hit two home runs in the game. This time, catcher Stacey Nuveman provided the muscle, cranking her nation-leading 29th and 30th home runs of the year.
Second baseman Lyndsey Klein opened the scoring in the third inning. On her 21st birthday, Klein gave her team a gift by blasting her fifth home run of the season. Nuveman followed with her first home run of the game.
Nuveman struck again in the fifth inning. After singles from Amanda Freed and Klein, Nuveman homered off Minnesota reliever Michelle Harrison over the center field fence. With that feat, Nuveman joined teammate Julie Adams as the second Bruin to hit two home runs in a game at the Regional (Adams did it in both the first and second rounds).
Bruin pitcher Courtney Dale (30-1) brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning but gave up consecutive singles to Tammi Hays and Steph Midthun. However, Dale forced Shannon Beeler into a double play then got Michelle Bennett to fly out to right fielder Lupe Brambila to end the game for her second shutout of the Regional. Dale struck out eight batters in the game. Minnesota's Steph Klaviter (23-10) took the loss after giving up two runs in 2.2 innings. Heather Brown pitched the final two innings for the Golden Gophers and held the Bruins hitless in relief.
UCLA (58-6) advances to the Regional final on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Minnesota must play in the elimination game today at 3:00 pm against the winner of the Cal State Northridge-Missouri game.
Game Summary
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Minnesota 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
UCLA 0 0 2 0 3 0 x 5 6 0
UCLA quotes
Head Coach Sue Enquist
"We came out and did a good job of establishing our game plan. Their pitcher did a good job of hitting her spots but we were patient and finally broke through."
(About Courtney Dale): "She did an excellent job of hitting her spots."
"The bottom of the order has been producing. Hitting in streaky. For those of our hitters who have not been hitting as well as usual, as long as they stay patient, we'll be okay."
Lyndsey Klein: "I feel like I've been in a groove lately. I've been seeing the ball well."
Stacey Nuveman: "I feel like I've been struggling a bit. It felt nice to bust out a little bit."
Courtney Dale: "I wanted to go out and make sure the ball was moving and I was hitting my spots. I try to make sure the ball moves and the speed takes care of itself."
Minnesota quotes
Head coach Lisa Bernstein:
"We got beat by a good ball club. We've got to put this behind us and get ready for a game at 3:00 p.m."
(About not pitching around Stacey Nuveman): "Julie Adams had four home runs in two days. They're all good hitters. Nuveman hit a low pitch that wouldn't even have been called a strike and hit it out."
"Dale is a tremendous player. She shut us down the first time through the lineup, we made contact the second and got some hits late. To get where we want to go, we'll have to play them again."
