Softball defeats Lehigh with no-hitter in first game of NCAA Tournament
Redshirt freshman pitcher Rachel Garcia’s no-hitter was the the first of her career and the 15th postseason no-no in UCLA softball history. (Habeba Mostafa/Daily Bruin)
By Christian Babcock
May 19, 2017 11:29 p.m.
The Bruins started off their postseason with a victory on a no-hitter from Rachel Garcia on Friday night.
The redshirt freshman threw all five innings of the game – shortened by the mercy rule – as UCLA softball bested Lehigh by a score of 8-0.
Garcia struck out eight Mountain Hawks and faced just one over the minimum, hitting one batter to lead off the top of the second.
After a tight start to the game, the Bruins broke the game open in the bottom of the third.
Senior shortstop Delaney Spaulding commenced a four-run rally for the Bruins with a solo home run to right-center. After a single by junior second baseman Kylee Perez and an RBI double by sophomore third baseman Brianna Tautalafua, junior first baseman Madeline Jelenicki stretched the lead with a two-run shot to center.
The Bruins supplemented the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-run rally, featuring a two-run double from Spaulding.
In the fifth inning, the Bruins finished off the Mountain Hawks with another two runs. Tautalafua homered to center to lead off the inning. Jelenicki followed that up with a single, and senior outfielder Gabrielle Maurice moved her to third with a double. Freshman center fielder Bubba Nickles drove in the game-ending run on a sacrifice fly to left.
UCLA will continue in the Los Angeles Regional against San Jose State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
