Bruins Continue Homestand With Games Against Cal, Stanford
April 23, 2003
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The Bruins posted two impressive victories over Washington last weekend and will continue their homestand this weekend with games against Cal and Stanford at Easton Stadium. UCLA will play six of its next seven games at home, including the first night game in the history of Easton Stadium next Saturday, May 3, vs. Oregon State. This Saturday's game against Stanford will be "Adopt a Classroom Day" at Easton Stadium, with former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda throwing out the first pitch. There will be an autograph session following the game.
Bruins Bomb Huskies in Weekend Sweep
UCLA posted 5-2 and 10-0 victories over third-ranked Washington last weekend, positioning the Bruins solidly in second place in the Pac-10 standings, two games behind first-place Arizona, and a game and a half ahead of Cal, which is in third place.
Friday's game was sealed with five unearned runs scored by the Bruins in the bottom of the fifth inning. With UCLA trailing by a 2-0 margin, a dropped fly ball by Washington's right fielder with two outs in the bottom of the fifth scored two runs to tie the game, followed by a two-run home run by Claire Sua and an RBI single by Toria Auelua to give the Bruins the 5-2 win. Keira Goerl pitched the complete game, recording eight strikeouts on the afternoon.
The Bruins responded again on Saturday, scoring in every inning of the run-rule 10-0 win. An RBI single by Sua in the first inning started the scoring, followed by an RBI double from Andrea Duran in the second. Sua led off the third with a monstrous home run to center field before the Bruins scored two in the fourth, two in the fifth on a two-RBI double by Natasha Watley and a three-run game-ending home run by Stephanie Ramos in the sixth inning. Goerl pitched the complete game shutout, and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. Goerl recorded three strikeouts on the day.
UCLA vs. This Week's Opponents
No. 7/10 Cal-- The Bruins hold a 61-19 all-time record against the Golden Bears, including 3-0 and 4-1 (8 inn) victories in Berkeley the last weekend in March. Cal swept its three-game set with Stanford last weekend, and is in third place in the Pac-10 standings. Cal is coached by Diane Ninemire and has a 2003 record of 38-12 (7-5 Pac-10). The Golden Bears are led by Veronica Nelson (.376, 9 HR, 81 BB) offensively, and by Kelly Anderson (16-6, 0.97 ERA) and Kristina Thorson (11-5, 1.16 ERA) in the circle.
No. 13/15 Stanford-- UCLA holds a 35-7 all-time record against Stanford, including a 5-0 win at Stanford on Mar. 28, when Keira Goerl pitched her first no-hitter of the season. Stanford has a 32-18 record, and is 4-8 (tied for 6th) in the Pac-10. The Cardinal is coached by John Rittman, and is led offensively by Lauren Lappin (.378 BA, 2 HR, 15 BB) and in the circle by Dana Sorensen (15-7, 1.12 ERA) and Tori Nyberg (13-8, 1.84 ERA).
Next Week in Bruin Softball
The Bruins have a four-game week coming up, with a trip to Seattle for a single game on Wednesday, April 30 before returning to Easton Stadium to host the Oregon schools for the final homestand of the season. The OSU game on Saturday, May 3, will be the first night game in Easton Stadium history.