UCLA
Wichita State
Miscues Aid and Cost 13th-Ranked Bruins in Friday Split
February 28, 2015 | Softball
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LAKEWOOD, Calif. - The 13th-ranked Bruins took advantage of some mistakes to post an 11-0, five-inning victory over Wichita State on Friday at Mayfair Park, but made some errors of their own in the nightcap in a 5-4 loss to Long Beach State.
In game one, the Bruins (14-4) scored in each of their first three at-bats, recording eight hits, as senior Stephany LaRosa had two hits and two RBI, while junior Allexis Bennett added a pair of hits. In the circle, senior Ally Carda (7-2) was dominant, striking out seven in a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and a walk in five innings.
Wichita State (9-9) stranded two in its first at-bat and then saw UCLA score five in its first ups. Carda opened with a walk and sophomore Delaney Spaulding singled to left. Freshman Kylee Perez laid down a perfect bunt single, and when the throw was dropped by second baseman Liz Broyles covering at first, Carda came home with the Bruins' first run. One out later, sophomore Gabrielle Maurice walked to load the bases for junior Brittany Moeai, who singled up the middle to plate Spaulding and Perez to make it 3-0. One out later, senior Gracie Goulder reached on an error by first baseman Macklin Hitz, as both Maurice and Moeai scored to put the Bruins up by five.
In the second, UCLA added four. Bennett led off with a single and Carda bunted, but Hitz's throw to first was off the mark, allowing Bennett to take third and Carda second. A sacrifice fly by Spaulding to right brought in Bennett with UCLA's sixth run, as Carda took third. One out later, LaRosa doubled to right-center to plate Carda to make it 7-0. After LaRosa advanced to third on a wild pitch, Maurice doubled to the same spot in right-center to extend the lead to 8-0. Moeai followed with a tapper to second, which was misplayed by Broyles, as Maurice scored the Bruins' ninth run.
In the third, the Bruins tacked on two more. Goulder drew a leadoff walk and Bennett reached on an infield single to short, as Goulder took third on a throwing error by Kelli Spring. After Bennett stole second, Carda grounded one to Spring, but it was bobbled for the Shockers' sixth error, allowing Goulder to score the Bruins' 10th run. Two outs later and with runners at the corners, LaRosa singled to center to plate Spaulding, who reached on a fielder's choice, to make it 11-0.
Carda struck out a pair in each of the first two innings and one apiece in the next three, allowing just two baserunners after the first frame.
In game two, it was the Bruins (14-5) who made miscues defensively to give Long Beach State (9-8) the one-run win. LaRosa added two more hits, as the Bruins had six as a team.
Freshman Johanna Grauer started and struck out one in two-plus innings, giving up two unearned runs, three hits and three walks. Carda (7-3) relieved her and fanned six in four frames, allowing three runs (two earned), four hits and four walks.
The Bruins spotted the 49ers unearned runs in the first and third. Shayna Kimbrough reached on a bobble by Spaulding at short, and one out later, moved to second on a single to left by Haley Tobler. Back-to-back walks to Lauren Lombardi and Darian Tautalafua forced in Kimbrough with the game's first run.
In the third, Tobler drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Spaulding dropped a flip to second in an attempt to get the force with Lombardi at the plate. A Tautalafua double to center cashed in the run to make it 2-0, although Carda did a good job of limiting the damage, retiring three batters on three pitches in relief of Grauer.
The Bruins went in front in the fourth. Spaulding led off with a walk and LaRosa jacked her third home run of the season to left-center to even the score. One out later, Moeai connected on one to right for her third of the year to put UCLA up 3-2.
The 49ers rallied with two in their half of the fourth. With two outs, LT Torres and Tobler drew walks and Lombardi doubled to left to score both to put Long Beach up by one.
Long Beach State was given an insurance run in the sixth. After Torres led off with a single to left, it appeared Carda would limit the damage after a strikeout and pop up, as well as a foul ball to left with Tautalafua up. But Maurice dropped the ball in foul ground to give Tautalafua new life and she took it with a single to right. Julia Lombardi then singled up the middle to bring in Torres to make it 5-3.
In the seventh, a miscue gave the Bruins a chance, but they fell one run short. Junior Mysha Sataraka drew a one-out walk and was pinch-run for by sophomore Robyn Corruth. One out later, Bennett lifted a fly ball to left, but it deflected off the glove of Tobler, as Corruth came all the way around to score to cut the deficit to 5-4, as Bennett took third. But Long Beach pitcher Amanda Hansen retired Perez on a fly out to left to end the game.
The Bruins are back in action on Saturday, weather permitting, against Southern Utah (2 p.m.) and Portland State (7 p.m.) at Mayfair Park. Live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com. Follow UCLA Softball on Twitter for playing condition updates.
