UCLA
Washington
Bruins Close Out Weekend With Win
March 26, 2016 | Softball
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LOS ANGELES – Sophomore Madeline Jelenicki belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning and the 14th-ranked Bruins went on to hold off #10 Washington on Saturday by a score of 10-8 in the series finale at Easton Stadium.
Jelenicki had two hits and drove in four, as the Bruins (19-10-1, 2-2-1 Pac-12) posted 10 hits, with eight of the nine starters collecting at least one. Senior Allexis Bennett recorded two hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored, while freshman Brianna Tautalafua drove in a pair. In the circle, sophomore Johanna Grauer improved to 10-8 on the season, striking out two in six innings of relief and giving up three runs, five hits and six walks. She had a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth. Sophomore Selina Ta'amilo started and fanned one in one frame, posting a 1-2-3 inning in the first while giving up five runs and three hits.
Despite the 18 runs, all the scoring was confined to four innings. UCLA drew first blood with five in its initial at-bat. Bennett led off with a slap single to short, sophomore Kylee Perez was hit by a pitch, and one out later, senior Mysha Sataraka walked to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in Bennett with the game's first run and a line drive sacrifice fly to right off the bat of freshman Paige Halstead plated Perez to make it 2-0. An infield single by junior Gabrielle Maurice put runners at the corners for Jelenicki, who singled up the middle to bring in Sataraka with UCLA's third run. A poor throw in by the Washington center fielder on the same play allowed both runners to move up, and then Maurice and Jelenicki came home on Tautalafua's two-run single to left-center to make it 5-0.
Washington (21-7, 2-4 Pac-12) matched the Bruins with a five-spot of its own in the second on an RBI double by Dani Braun, a two-run double by Morganne Flores and a two-run double from Taylor Van Zee. UCLA would limit the damage done by the Huskies though thanks to three double plays throughout the game.
In the fifth, Halstead jump-started the inning with a triple to right, Maurice walked and Jelenicki tied Sataraka for the team lead in home runs with a shot to left, her seventh, to put the Bruins up 8-5. Tautalafua followed with a walk and was pinch-run for by freshman Imani Johnson, who moved to second on a sacrifice from freshman Zoe Shaw and to third on a Bennett bunt single. After Bennett stole second, Perez singled up the middle to bring in Johnson to make it 9-5. Spaulding would make the second out of the inning on a strikeout, but Perez took off for second base, getting in a pickle long enough to allow Bennett to steal home and get the Bruins to double figures.
Washington added three in the sixth on a three-run single off the bat of Kimberlee Souza, but the Bruins would hold on for the two-run victory.
The Bruins head to Cal State Fullerton for a non-conference tilt on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.
