University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
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Georgia
It All Starts at the Top for UCLA
February 27, 2016 | Softball
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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The top two hitters in the Bruins' lineup, senior Allexis Bennett (7-for-8) and sophomore Kylee Perez (5-for-6) combined for 12 hits, six RBI and seven runs scored, as the 10th-ranked Bruins swept a doubleheader on Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic II, handing #8 Georgia its first loss of the season in a 14-6, five-inning victory and defeating BYU by a score of 9-4.
Versus Georgia (11-1), the Bruins recorded a season-best 14 runs to go with 14 hits. Bennett was 4-for-4 to tie a career high in hits, adding a personal-best four runs scored and two runs batted in. Perez was 3-for-3 with three RBI, while freshman Paige Halstead had two hits and two RBI. Eight of the nine Bruin starters scored a run, including three by freshman Zoe Shaw, while eight of the nine posted at least one hit. Sophomore Johanna Grauer (2-2) picked up the win in relief, striking out two in 3 2/3 innings and giving up four runs, three hits and two walks. Sophomore Selina Ta'amilo started and fanned two in 1 1/3 frames, allowing two runs, two hits and two walks.
The Bruins (8-4) brought in a run in the bottom of the first. Bennett led off with a single to left and moved to second on a Georgia fielding error. After a Perez sacrifice moved Bennett to third, UCLA pulled off a squeeze with junior Delaney Spaulding plating Bennett.
Georgia came back with a pair in the top of the second on a two-run single off the bat of Lacey Sumerlin, but the Bruins responded with four in their half of the inning. Junior Gabrielle Maurice was hit to open the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Madeline Jelenicki and advanced to third on a Halstead single. A single to left-center by freshman Taylor Pack brought in Maurice to even the game at two. After Shaw reached on a fielder's choice, with Halstead being put out at second, Bennett singled to center. Pack stopped at third, but when the throw in got away from the Bulldogs, Pack came home to give the Bruins a 3-2 edge, as Shaw took third. Bennett then stole second and both her and Shaw came home on a single through the 5-6 hole from Perez to put UCLA ahead 5-2.
Cortni Emanuel single-handedly gave Georgia the lead back in the fourth, posting a three-run triple and then scoring on a wild pitch to make it 6-5 Bulldogs. However, the Bruins got the lead back with two in their half. With two outs, Shaw and Bennett singled, which was followed by a comebacker from Perez, who reached safely on the hit. When the Bulldog pitcher threw low to first, both Shaw and Bennett came in to score to give the Bruins a 7-6 lead.
The Bruins broke it open and invoked the mercy rule with seven in the fifth. Senior Mysha Sataraka led off with a single to left and was pinch-run for by freshman Stevie Wisz. After a Maurice sacrifice, Jelenicki singled, advancing to second on the throw home, and Wisz and Jelenicki both scored on a two-run double to right-center from Halstead to make it 9-6.
One out later, Shaw walked and both her and Halstead came home on a double to left-center by Bennett to increase the lead to 11-6. Perez followed with a single to left to score Bennett to extend the advantage to 12-6. After a hit by pitch of Spaulding, Sataraka reached on an error by the Georgia second baseman, as Perez came in with the 13th run. The next pitch resulted in an RBI single to left-center by Maurice to score Spaulding to finish off a 14-6 victory.
Against BYU (8-5), Bennett added three more hits, as again, eight of the nine starters posted at least one. Jelenicki was 2-for-3 with four RBI, which tied a career high, Perez had two more hits and Halstead drove in two more runs. Grauer (3-2) earned her second win of the day, striking out seven in five innings and giving up three runs, five hits and one walk. Ta'amilo picked up her first save of the season, fanning two in two innings and allowing a run, two hits and one walk.
BYU got on the board in its first at-bat on a home run by Libby Sugg, but the Bruins scored twice in their initial ups. A walk to Perez, a hit by pitch of Maurice and a free pass to Sataraka loaded the bases for Halstead, who grounded one to short, but the force attempt was dropped by the Cougar second baseman, as Perez scored to even the game. Jelenicki then hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Maurice to make it 2-1 UCLA.
In the second, the Bruins (9-4) had three straight singles by Bennett, Perez and Maurice to bring across their third run. UCLA added another in the fourth when Shaw led off with a double down the right-field line and moved to third on a BYU error. One out later, a slap single to second from Bennett scored Shaw to bring the lead to 4-1.
The fifth inning saw each team score twice thanks to some long balls. The Cougars got a two-run homer by Coco Bond to cut their deficit to 4-3. In the Bruins' half, Halstead and Jelenicki led off with back-to-back jacks, the second of the season for both, to put UCLA back up 6-3.
The Cougars scratched across another run in the sixth when Bond was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the bottom half of the sixth, the Bruins scored three times. With one out, Sataraka walked and was pinch-run for by junior Robyn Corruth. After a walk to Halstead, Jelenicki tripled to right-center to score a pair of runners to make the lead 8-4. Spaulding followed with a single to left to make it 9-4.
UCLA continues tournament action on Saturday against #11 Oklahoma at 9:30 a.m. Live stats and video will be available on UCLABruins.com.
