UCLA
UC Davis
Bruins Close Weekend With Run Rule
March 06, 2016 | Softball
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LOS ANGELES - The 13th-ranked Bruins came back from an early deficit to mercy rule UC Davis on Sunday on the final day of the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament, defeating the Aggies, 9-1, in five innings.
UCLA (13-8) had seven hits, as senior Allexis Bennett and freshman Paige Halstead each posted a pair, while senior Mysha Sataraka drove in four runs. In the circle, sophomore Johanna Grauer improved to 6-6 by retiring all nine batters she faced in relief, striking out two. Sophomore Selina Ta'amilo started and fanned two in two frames, allowing a run, three hits and a walk.
The Aggies (8-13) got on the board in the second when Kaila Olson singled up the middle to drive in Christina Guidry. UCLA rallied though with three in the bottom of the third. With one out, junior Delaney Spaulding walked, sophomore Kylee Perez reached on an error and Sataraka belted her team-leading fifth homer of the season to left-center to put the Bruins up 3-1.
In the fourth, UCLA sent a dozen to the plate and scored half a dozen. Halstead led off with a single to right-center and was pinch-run for by freshman Imani Johnson, who moved to third on a double to center from freshman Zoe Shaw. One out later, Bennett singled to center to plate Johnson to make it 4-1. A walk to Spaulding loaded the bases, and one out later, Sataraka drew a free pass to force in Shaw with UCLA's fifth run.
Hit by pitches of junior Gabrielle Maurice and sophomore Madeline Jelenicki on consecutive pitches scored Bennett and Spaulding to make it 7-1. Halstead then posted her second hit of the inning, a single up the middle, to bring in Sataraka to extend the lead to 8-1. Shaw brought the mercy rule into effect with a bases-loaded walk, as Maurice scored to make it 9-1.
The Bruins head to Lakewood next weekend for the Long Beach State Louisville Slugger Invitational. First up is a doubleheader on Friday against Mississippi State and the host 49ers, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Lakewood's Mayfair Park.
