UCLA
Arizona
Softball Drops Nine-Inning Slugfest, 12-9, at Arizona
May 06, 2000 | Softball
May 6, 2000
TUCSON, AZ - Bruin second baseman Lyndsey Klein hit a grand slam on the first pitch she saw in the game, but it wasn't enough as No. 3 UCLA lost a nine-inning slugfest to No. 2 Arizona, 12-9. With the win, Arizona improves to 49-7, 12-4 Pac-10, while UCLA falls to 36-9-1, 11-5 Pac-10. Amanda Freed took the loss for the Brins, falling to 19-7.
The game opened with a controversial play, as Amanda Freed's hit was caught and then dropped by UA left fielder Lauren Bauer, as she straddled the left field line. After lengthy discussions between the umpires and both coaches, Freed remained on second base. From there, freshman shortstop Natasha Watley sacrificed Freed to third, Julie Adams walked and Julie Marshall was safe on a fielders choice, when UA shortstop xx Andrade failed to get an out on the play.
That set the table for second baseman Lyndsey Klein, who took Becky Lemke's first pitch over the left field fence for UCLA's third grand slam of the year. Tairia Mims, who played her high school softball locally at Salpointe Catholic High School, then hit a towering shot that cleared the left field bleachers for her sixth home run of the season to give the Bruins a 5-0 lead. It was Mims' first at-bat at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Wildcats answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning, as first baseman Jenny Finch hit a solo home run into left field.
UCLA posted another big inning in the fourth, with Freed starting it off with a single down the left field line, followed by an infield single by Watley. An RBI double by Adams plated Freed, and Watley was hit home on a sacrifice fly by Watley. Starting pitcher Courtney Dale then singled home pinch runner Erin Rahn, who was running for Adams, to complete the scoring in the inning for the Bruins.
Dale pitched 2-2/3 innings, her longest outing since being diagnosed with a torn labrum in her right (pitching) shoulder on February 25. She was relieved by Freed with two out in the third inning after facing 11 batters, allowing four hits and one earned run. Arizona's offense started in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Finch led off with a walk, followed by singles from Chrisy Gil and Erika Hanson to load the bases. Left fielder Lauren Bauer then hit a ball just fair and just over the fence on the left field line to clear the bases on the second grand slam of the game, bringing the score to 9-5.
From there, Alison Andrade closed the gap to 9-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning with a leadoff homer to left field. Her teammates took her lead, manufacturing three more runs on three singles and a walk to tie the contest at 9-9.
In the top of the seventh, a two-out double by Mims gave the Bruins a runner in scoring position, but UCLA was unable to capitalize. Arizona also came up with one hit in the bottom of the frame, but was unable to score.
In extra innings, all the offense the Cats needed came on one swing of Bauer's bat. In the bottom of the ninth, Andrade earned a one-out walk, followed by a single from Hanson, before Bauer completed a 6-for-6 night with her second home run of the night, a three-run walk-off home run to left field.
The Bruins and Wildcats go at it again on Sunday afternoon, with a 1 p.m. start in the desert.
