UCLA
Southern Utah
13th-Ranked Bruins Bring the Thunder to Mercy Southern Utah
March 01, 2015 | Softball
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LAKEWOOD, Calif. - The 13th-ranked Bruins posted 12 hits, while a pair of freshmen teamed up on a two-hitter in the circle, as UCLA notched a 9-1, five-inning victory on Saturday over Southern Utah at Mayfair Park.
UCLA (15-5) will play again on Saturday night versus Portland State. The Thunderbirds fall to 3-10.
Five different Bruins recorded two-hit games, senior Gracie Goulder, junior Allexis Bennett, sophomores Gabrielle Maurice and Delaney Spaulding and freshman Kylee Perez. Maurice also drove in three.
In the circle, Johanna Grauer moved to 5-0 on the year, striking out one in three hitless innings, giving up an unearned run and one walk. Fellow freshman Selina Ta'amilo tossed two frames of shutout relief, fanning five (two in the fourth and the side in the fifth) and allowing two hits and a walk.
The Bruins got on the board with a pair in the second. Maurice launched an opposite-field homer to left, her second of the season, with one out to open the scoring. One out later, junior Mysha Sataraka singled to left, Goulder laid down a bunt single in front of the plate and Bennett doubled down the left-field line to plate Sataraka to make it 2-0.
In the third, Southern Utah got on the board with an unearned run. Ashley Ostler was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice by Tanisha Anderson and scored one out later when Maurice dropped a ball in left with Sara Park at the plate to make it 2-1.
UCLA got that run back and a couple more in its half of the third. Spaulding led off with a double down the left-field line and Perez walked. After Perez was forced at second with senior Stephany LaRosa up, Maurice singled up the middle to bring in Spaulding with the Bruins' third run. Junior Brittany Moeai followed with a tapper to short, but it was bobbled by Kelli Hales, allowing LaRosa to score to make it 4-1. One out later, Goulder laid down another bunt hit in front of the plate and Maurice slid in with the Bruins' fifth run, and with nobody covering second, Goulder turned it into a bunt double.
UCLA put up three more in the fourth. With one out, Spaulding singled up the middle, Perez reached on a bunt single in front of the plate and LaRosa walked to load the bases. Maurice followed with a grounder to first to plate Spaulding with the Bruins' sixth run. Freshman Maddy Jelenicki then had a pinch-hit single through the 5-6 hole to score Perez and LaRosa to make it 8-1.
The Bruins invoked the mercy rule for the second time this weekend in the bottom of the fifth. Goulder walked and Bennett singled up the middle, but Goulder would be erased between second and third when a bouncer to short by senior Ally Carda hit her. After a grounder by Spaulding moved both runners over, Perez singled to right to plate Bennett and give UCLA the 9-1 victory.
