UCLA
Utah
Three-Hit Shutout Gives #10 UCLA 13th-Straight Victory
March 16, 2015 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
2015 UCLA Softball Schedule | PDF Schedule
LOS ANGELES - The Bruins extended their winning streak to 13 games and completed a weekend sweep of Utah with a 6-0 victory on Sunday at Easton Stadium. Senior Ally Carda and freshman Johanna Grauer combined on a three-hit shutout, while senior Stephany LaRosa and sophomore Gabrielle Maurice both homered.
UCLA improves to 27-5 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play, while Utah falls to 17-9 and 0-3 in league action.
Carda moved to 14-3 on the season, striking out seven and giving up just two hits and a walk in four innings. She fanned at least one in every inning, setting down three in the second and two in the fourth, with a 1-2-3 frame in the third. Grauer completed the shutout with three solid innings of relief for her third save, including a 1-2-3 frame in the sixth, allowing a hit and a walk.
The Bruins jumped on the Utes for three in the first. Carda led off with a single to center, and one out later, freshman Kylee Perez reached on an infield single to short. After a wild pitch moved both up a base, freshman Maddy Jelenicki lifted a deep fly ball to left-center to plate Carda with the game's first run. LaRosa followed with her team-best fifth homer of the season to left to increase the advantage to 3-0.
In the third, UCLA added two more with a two-out rally. LaRosa tripled to right, and with Maurice at the plate, Utah catcher Shelby Pacheco tried to back pick her, but the throw went into left to allow LaRosa to score the Bruins' fourth run. Maurice then hit the next pitch over the wall in right-center, her third bomb of the year, to up the lead to 5-0.
In the fourth, a one-out double by Carda and a pinch-hit two-bagger from junior Brittany Moeai pushed the Bruins' lead to 6-0.
The Bruins head to Seattle next for a wraparound weekend series at Washington, playing Saturday, March 21 at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 22 at 6 p.m. and Monday, March 23 at 6 p.m. All three games will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
