UCLA
Arizona
First-Inning Run Holds Up as Selden and Bruins Beat Arizona
May 29, 2008 | Softball
May 29, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Senior Anjelica Selden struck out nine in a three-hit shutout and junior Amanda Kamekona drove in the game's only run in the bottom of the first, as the Bruins defeated Arizona 1-0 in the Women's College World Series opener for both teams on Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
UCLA improves to 51-7 on the season and will face another Pac-10 rival, Arizona State, on Friday at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Arizona falls to the loser's bracket and will play Alabama on Saturday at 1 p.m.
For the 44th time this season, the Bruins scored first, also crossing home plate in their first at-bat for the 30th time to remain undefeated when doing both. Freshman Katie Schroeder chopped a pitch to Arizona's Taryne Mowatt in the circle, but she threw it high to first, allowing Schroeder to reach and advance to second. After senior Krista Colburn bunted Schroeder over to third, Kamekona singled to center to bring in the first run of the game.
From that point on, it turned out to be a pitcher's duel between Selden and Mowatt. Selden struck out two each in the second, fourth and sixth, retiring the final six batters of the game. The senior improved to 29-3 for her eighth complete-game victory of the season. Selden walked two and allowed three hits.
Mowatt allowed only two hits and just one after the first inning. She finished the game with five strikeouts and two walks, giving up just the one unearned run.
Sophomore Megan Langenfeld had the other hit for the Bruins, a single in the third, to extend her hitting streak to eight games.
