UCLA
Oregon
No Fooling: Bruins Run-Rule Oregon
April 02, 2016 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
EUGENE, Ore. - Junior Gabrielle Maurice, sophomore Madeline Jelenicki and freshman Brianna Tautalafua all drove in three runs, while Jelenicki, Maurice and junior Delaney Spaulding each had a pair of hits, as the 16th-ranked Bruins routed #4 Oregon on Friday with a 16-6, five-inning victory at Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Bruins (21-10-1, 3-2-1 Pac-12) recorded 11 hits and tied a season high with three home runs. Eight of the nine UCLA starters had at least one hit. Spaulding and freshman Paige Halstead both drove in two runs, Maurice and Spaulding scored three times and Tautalafua and senior Allexis Bennett each crossed the plate twice.
Sophomore Selina Ta'amilo (10-2) struck out two in 3 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, seven hits and one walk. Sophomore Johanna Grauer fanned one in 1 1/3 frames, allowing three runs, four hits and one walk.
The Bruins scored early and often against the Ducks (26-5, 6-1 Pac-12), getting two in their first at-bat. Bennett was hit on the first pitch of the game and moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Kylee Perez. After a plunking of Spaulding and a walk to senior Mysha Sataraka, Jelenicki jacked an 0-2 pitch over the Oregon left fielder for a double to bring in Bennett and Spaulding for the game's first runs.
In the bottom of the first, Bennett made the catch of the game, a sliding grab in shallow center, as she would double off the Oregon runner at second to keep the Ducks off the board and turn the Bruins' nation-leading 23rd double play. UCLA responded with seven runs in the second. Tautalafua opened the inning by reaching on a two-base error, and one out later, advanced to third on a wild pitch. A walk to Bennett brought up Perez, who singled up the middle to plate Tautalafua to make it 3-0. Spaulding then singled through the 3-4 hole to bring home Bennett with the Bruins' fourth run, as Perez moved to third and Spaulding advanced to second on the throw.
A walk to Sataraka loaded the bases for Jelenicki, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Perez to make it 5-0. Maurice followed with a three-run homer to left-center, her second bomb of the season, to increase the margin to 8-0. Halstead reached on an Oregon error, moved to second on an illegal pitch and scored when Tautalafua got on via another error to bring the lead to 9-0.
Oregon got on the board in the third on an RBI triple by Koral Costa and an RBI single from Geri Ann Glasco to make it 9-2. However, UCLA would tack on three more in the fourth. Sataraka opened the frame with a single up the middle, Jelenicki doubled down the left-field line and Maurice was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single to left by Halstead scored a pair to make it 11-2. Two outs later, a Bennett single to center plated Maurice to extend the advantage to double figures at 12-2.
Oregon matched those three runs in its half of the fourth on an RBI ground out by Danica Mercado and a two-run single from Nikki Udria to make it 12-5, but the Bruins would put the mercy rule back into effect in the fifth with a four spot. Spaulding led off the frame with a homer to left, her seventh of the year, to make it 13-5. Sataraka walked for a third time and was pinch-run for by junior Robyn Corruth, who moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on an infield single from Maurice.
Tautalafua then connected on her second homer of the season to left, a three-run shot, to put the Bruins up 16-5. Oregon scored on an inside-the-park home run by Hailey Decker in the bottom of the fifth, but was unable to extend the game, as UCLA won by 10.
The Bruins and the Ducks continue their three-game series on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPNU.
