Bruins Down Missouri, 12-5, at NCAA Regionals

May 23, 1999

LOS ANGELES - At the NCAA Softball Regional final at UCLA's Easton Softball Stadium, top-seeded UCLA defeated second-seeded Missouri 12-5 to advance to the College World Series for the 15th time in school history.

The Bruin bats were swinging once again, as UCLA added 12 runs (including four runs each in the second and sixth innings) to the 26 it had previously scored in its three tournament games. Third baseman Julie Adams and catcher Stacey Nuveman had the hot bats again for the Bruins. Adams drove in two runs, bringing her tournament total to 13 RBIs, while Nuveman hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning, her third homer in her last two games. In addition, first baseman Julie Marshall went 2-5 with three RBIs.

Down 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Missouri rallied to keep the game alive. With two outs and two on after a hit batsman and fielding error, Erin Erickson cranked a three-run home run to end UCLA pitcher Courtney Dale's bid for her third consecutive shutout in the tournament. But Dale, who struck out five and gave up just one earned run to earn her 31st victory in 32 decisions, struck out Amy Farmer to end the inning. The Bruins added three more runs from RBI singles by Lyndsey Klein, Adams and Marshall in the top of the seventh to widen the gap more. Missouri scored two more runs in the final frame, but it was too little too late for the Tigers.

UCLA (59-6) will face DePaul in the first round of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 pm CT. Missouri ends its season with a 41-21 record.

Game Summary

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R   H   E
UCLA      0 4 0 0 1 4 3 12  14  2
Missouri  0 0 0 0 0 3 2 5   7   2

All-Tournament Team:
UCLA - 3B Julie Adams, P Courtney Dale, C Stacey Nuveman, P/OF Amanda Freed, 2B Lyndsey Klein
Missouri - P Stephanie Falk, OF Wendy Harrison, SS Shawna Robinson, 1B Kim Slover
Minnesota - P Steph Klaviter
Cal State Northridge - P Tara Glaister, INF Katrina Nolletti

Most Outstanding Player:
UCLA 3B Julie Adams

Missouri quotes

Head Coach Jay Miller: "We came out and scored some, put some players on base. Erin (Erickson) hit a great shot to keep the game going. I'm proud of the way the girls played. They kept fighting and working through things. It's tough to go home when we've come this far."

(When asked if UCLA is the number one team in the country): "Without a doubt"

"When you're down four, five, seven runs, you aren't going to win the ball game."

Stephanie Falk: "All the way through the line up I couldn't slip up. They hit the ball, and I wish them the best of luck."

Erin Erickson: (When asked about her home run) "I like to go up thinking I'll hit one. I like to help our team out to keep us in the ball game. It felt good getting the hit."

Kim Slover: (When asked about the loss) "It wasn't disappointing. We played an excellent tournament. We played great and we never gave up."

"It was nice putting some runs on the board. We probably could've even scored more, but that's the way it works I guess."

(When asked about the UCLA team) "No one stands out more than anyone else. They all have done really well."

UCLA quotes

UCLA Head Coach Sue Enquist: "I'm proud of the way the UCLA team played this weekend. We had lots of little tests this weekend. They are going to help us go forward in the World Series. We've done an excellent job of sticking with our plan. I'm really pleased with our performance overall."

(When asked about Missouri's team): "They were competitors. As a coach, that's all I can ask for. They never say die. They did an excellent job of competing all the way to the end."

(About UCLA going to the World Series) "They're going to do whatever it takes to win."

Courtney Dale: (When asked about Erin Erickson's home run) "That one got in the strike zone."

(On the team scoring so many runs) "It's awesome, we have the confidence to go out there and play our game. It takes pressure off of me as pitcher."

Stacey Nuveman: "As a hitter, it's key to stay consistent and make adjustments. We're trying to mix it up and keep the batters honest."

Julie Adams: "We did our job here. Now we need to regroup. We'll pack our bags and go to Oklahoma."

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