UCLA
San Diego State
Bruins Earn WCWS Berth, Down SDSU, 11-0
May 20, 2001 | Softball
May 20, 2001
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UCLA Softball Advances to Women's College World Series With 11-0 Defeat of San Diego State
LOS ANGELES
- UCLA used home runs from Stephanie Ramos, Stacey Nuveman and Courtney Dale, and Amanda Freed allowed just one hit in five innings as the second-ranked Bruins (59-5) defeated San Diego State (41-25) in Sunday's NCAA softball regional championship game at Easton Stadium, 11-0.UCLA advances to its 17th Women's College World Series and will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thu., May 24, at 8:30 p.m. CDT (6:30 p.m. PDT) in Oklahoma City.
The Bruins scored in every inning of the game, shortened to five innings due to the eight-run rule. UCLA took a 1-0 lead when Ramos hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the first, just her second round tripper of the season. The Bruins added three more in the second inning on RBI singles by left fielder Lupe Brambila and shortstop Natasha Watley as well as a sacrifice fly by Ramos, which scored Watley for a 4-0 margin.
The lead became 5-0 when Nuveman opened the third inning with a solo shot, her 19th homer of the season and 70th of her career. The possibility of a run-rule game became a reality when the Bruins posted four runs in the fourth inning for a 9-0 lead. Ramos and Regionals MVP Tairia Mims opened the frame with back-to-back singles, followed by an intentional walk to Nuveman to load the bases. Two batters later, right fielder Courtney Dale rocketed a shot past SDSU third baseman Tashie Aguinaga, bringing home two runs. Brambila and Watley singled later in the inning with two outs, bringing home pinch runner Casey Hiraiwa and Dale.
UCLA tacked on two final runs in the fifth inning when Dale, a senior in her final at-bat at UCLA's Easton Stadium, snuck one inside the left field foul pole for a two-run homer, scoring Nuveman, who singled earlier in the inning, for the 11-0 final.
Nuveman went 3-for-3 in the win with a pair of singles, a walk and her third-inning homer. Dale also was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with her fourth homer of the season and a pair of walks. Watley (2-for-4, 2 RBIs, SB), Ramos (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs) and Brambila (2-for-3, 2 RBIs, SB) also had multiple hits as part of UCLA's 14-hit attack.
Amanda Freed (19-3) earned the win for UCLA, allowing just one hit - a first inning double to right fielder Tiffany Goudy - while fanning six and walking three in the five-inning complete game. SDSU's Sandra Durazo (30-15) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. Durazo had pitched the Aztecs' last 107 1/3 innings prior to being removed in the fourth inning to a thunderous standing ovation from both San Diego State and UCLA fans in attendance, who recognized and appreciated Durazo's role in pitching the Aztecs to the regional championship game in the school's first-ever tournament appearance.
Seven of the 12 spots on the Regional All-Tournament team went to UCLA, including Mims' MVP effort. Also earning spots on the squad were UCLA's Freed, Watley, Dale, Nuveman, Ramos and pitcher Keira Goerl, Durazo and Janna Kovensky (SDSU), Lyndsey Fosatti (Fresno State), Sarah Farnworth (Cal State Northridge), and Andrea Kirchberg (Wisconsin).
