Thursday, March 28, 2024

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsBruinwalkClassifieds

Softball takes weekend series against Washington Huskies with bevy of home runs

Freshman catcher Alyssa Tiumalu hit two home runs over the three-game series against Washington. Ten of UCLA’s 12 runs over the stretch came on home runs. The Bruins won two of the three games against the Huskies.

Softball

Washington 4
UCLA 3

UCLA 5
Washington 2

UCLA 4
Washington 0

By Manny Redruello

April 24, 2011 11:29 p.m.

It’s a good thing Easton Stadium doesn’t have any bleachers in the outfield ““ any fans sitting there would have been running for their lives.

The UCLA softball team transformed its weekend series against Washington into an impromptu home run derby, driving in 10 of 12 runs via the longball.

“We always focus on hitting good pitches,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “We focus on hitting good pitches, and the home runs take care of themselves.”

The No. 11 Bruins (31-10, 7-5 Pac-10) defeated the No. 9 Huskies (31-8, 6-6) in two of three vital conference games over a three-day stretch.

On Thursday night, the Bruins blanked the Huskies 4-0 in the series opener. Freshman Kellie Fox hit a three-run home run to lead the Bruins on offense, while senior pitcher Donna Kerr (12-4) pitched a complete game shutout to pick up the win in the circle.

The Huskies were able to get on the board in Friday’s game, but the Bruins’ offense proved too much to handle as UCLA edged Washington by a score of 5-2.

All five of the Bruins runs were scored off of home runs on Friday. First to send the ball over the fence was junior left fielder Andrea Harrison, who belted a two-run shot over the left-field wall in the second inning to put the Bruins up 2-0.

Freshman catcher Alyssa Tiumalu dropped a solo shot over the right field wall in the third, and sophomore right fielder B.B. Bates hit a two-run shot of her own to conclude the Bruins’ scoring in the sixth.

Freshman pitcher Jessica Hall (15-6) did not give up any earned runs in four innings of work and picked up the win for the Bruins before she was replaced by Kerr, who gave up two earned runs but completed the save.

“Coach told me (Thursday) after the game to just be ready to go,” Kerr said. “She wanted me to start getting in three days (of pitching) in a row and get used to that.”

Kerr is getting used to pitching a full series the hard way, as she also tossed seven innings of relief on Saturday, giving up three earned runs in the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to the Huskies.

Senior third baseman GiOnna DiSalvatore hit a line-drive solo home run just over the right-field wall to put the Bruins up 1-0 in the third inning before the Huskies tied it up with a run in the fourth. Tiumalu then hit a deep home run off of the left field scoreboard on the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth inning to keep the Bruins ahead 2-1.

“The first one (on Friday) I was looking for the first pitch, and I got what I wanted; the same thing happened again (on Saturday),” Tiumalu said. “She was beating me on the inside pitch, and I was looking for it.”

With the Huskies down to their last strike in the seventh inning, Washington senior shortstop Jenn Salling hit an RBI double to tie the game at two runs apiece, sending the game into extra innings, where senior pitcher Kaitlin Ingelsby hit a solo home run in the eighth to put the Huskies up 3-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, UCLA redshirt junior center fielder Katie Schroeder walked with the bases loaded, tying the game 3-3 before Fox grounded out to end the inning. Kerr then gave up a solo home run to Salling, which proved to be the difference as the Bruins dropped the final game of the series 4-3.

“We put ourselves in position to win it several times,” Inouye-Perez said. “We gave a quality team like Washington extra opportunities, and you can’t do that.”

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Manny Redruello
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
More classifieds »
Related Posts