UCLA
Arizona
UCLA Doubled Up by Arizona
April 25, 2016 | Softball
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TUCSON, Ariz. – Junior Delaney Spaulding homered for the second-straight game, adding a single for a two-hit contest, while senior Mysha Sataraka and junior Gabrielle Maurice both posted two-hit affairs, but the 14th-ranked Bruins dropped an 8-4 decision to #16 Arizona on Sunday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Bruins fell to 29-13-1 overall and 10-5-1 in Pac-12 play, while the Wildcats improved to 32-13 and 9-5 in league action.
UCLA had nine hits as a team from six different players. In the circle, redshirt junior Paige McDuffee started and allowed two runs in one inning, sophomore Selina Ta'amilo (12-5) relieved her and fanned one, giving up one earned run (three total) in three frames and sophomore Johanna Grauer wrapped up the game, striking out two and allowing three runs in two innings.
Arizona struck first in its initial at-bat on an RBI single by Mo Mercado, but UCLA tied things up in the top of the second. Sataraka was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Madeline Jelenicki. After freshman Brianna Tautalafua was hit by a pitch to put a pair on base, freshman Paige Halstead singled up the middle to bring in Sataraka to tie the game.
The Wildcats re-took the lead in their half of the second on a leadoff homer by Joelle Krist, but the Bruins tied it again in the third. Senior Allexis Bennett led off with a double to left-center, and two outs later, came home on a Sataraka single to left to make it 2-all.
Arizona took the lead for good in the third with three runs, scoring on a Katiyana Mauga homer, a passed ball and an RBI single by Eva Watson to go ahead 5-2.
The Bruins got to within one in the fifth. Bennett reached on a leadoff error, and one out later, Spaulding hit her second homer of the weekend and team-best 12th of the season halfway up the bleachers in left-center to make it 5-4.
Arizona added three insurance runs in the sixth on a two-run homer by Mandie Perez and a bases-loaded walk to Nancy Bowling to go up 8-4, and despite the Bruins getting two in scoring position in the seventh, the home team doubled up the visitors to force a rubber game on Monday.
Said rubber game will take place at 7 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks. Live stats will also be available on UCLABruins.com.
