UCLA
Utah
Two-Out Rallies Power UCLA Past Utah
May 07, 2016 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Junior Gabrielle Maurice had two hits and three RBI, freshman Brianna Tautalafua also had two hits and drove in four and freshman Zoe Shaw recorded a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored, as the 13th-ranked Bruins run-ruled #25 Utah, 15-7, in five innings on Friday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
The Bruins improved to 34-13-1 overall and 15-5-1 in Pac-12 play, while the Utes fell to 31-16 and 12-7 in league action.
UCLA had 11 hits from eight different players, scoring runs in four of its five innings. In addition, seven Bruins scored at least one run, including four by senior Mysha Sataraka and three from sophomore Madeline Jelenicki. UCLA scored 13 of its 15 runs with two outs.
Redshirt junior Paige McDuffee earned the win in relief to improve to 4-0 on the season, striking out three in two innings and giving up just two hits. Sophomore Johanna Grauer started and gave up two runs in an inning, while sophomore Selina Ta'amilo fanned one in two innings of relief, allowing five runs.
The Bruins scored first thanks to a Utah miscue in their initial at-bat. With two outs, junior Delaney Spaulding singled up the middle, Sataraka walked and Jelenicki was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Maurice, who lifted a high fly ball to center which was misplayed by Delilah Pacheco to allow Spaulding, Sataraka and Jelenicki to score to put UCLA up.
The Utes netted a pair on a two-run homer by Hannah Flippen in the bottom of the first, but the Bruins responded with five in the second, sending 11 batters to the plate. Shaw recorded a one-out single, stole second and scored on a single to left-center by senior Allexis Bennett to put the Bruins up 4-2.
One out later, walks to Spaulding and Sataraka loaded the bases for Jelenicki, who singled to the 5-6 hole to drive in Bennett to make it 5-2. Two pitches later, a two-run single up the middle by Maurice brought home Spaulding and Sataraka to extend the lead to 7-2, which was followed by an RBI single to left-center off the bat of freshman Brianna Tautalafua to score Jelenicki to up things to 8-2.
The Utes got to within one with five in the third on a three-run homer by Anissa Urtez, an RBI triple by Kristen Stewart and an RBI single from Heather Bowen to make it 8-7.
In the fourth, the Bruins got one back. Sataraka led off by reaching on an error, advanced to second when Jelenicki reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice and scored on a triple to left by Maurice to make it 9-7.
UCLA then broke it open with six in the fifth, sending 10 to the plate. Shaw led off by reaching on an infield single off the Utah pitcher, Bennett got on via an error on the Utah center fielder and both came home two outs later when Sataraka launched her 12th homer of the season to left to put the Bruins up 12-7. After walks to Jelenicki and Maurice, Tautalafua brought the mercy rule into effect with a three-run bomb to left-center, her sixth, to make it 15-7.
Utah nearly extended the game in the bottom of the fifth after getting a pair of runners on base, but with Bowen up, Perez made a diving catch in the 3-4 hole to keep the Utes off the scoreboard and end the game.
The Bruins and the Utes continue their three-game series on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT. The game will air on Pac-12 Network National, Los Angeles and Mountain.
