April 28, 2001
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Second-ranked UCLA scored five runs in the fourth inning to give the No. 3 Stanford softball team its worst defeat of the year as the Bruins went on to an 8-0 win in five innings on Saturday afternoon at Easton Stadium. UCLA improves to 48-4 overall and 9-4 in the Paficifc-10 Conference while the Cardinal drops to 44-8-1 and 9-5 in conference play.
Tairia Mims gave UCLA an early lead with a home run to centerfield in the bottom of the first. Natasha Watley drew a leadoff walk and scored on the home run for a 2-0 Bruin lead.
The Cardinal's only scoring opportunity came in the top of the third. Robin Walker reached on a fielder's choice and Jessica Mendoza's bunt single advanced Walker to second. But UCLA's Keira Goerl got Sarah Beeson to pop up to short for the third out.
The Bruins opened up the game in the third, scoring five runs on three hits while sending 10 batters to the plate. After a leadoff double from Crissy Buck, Marcel Torres singled on a hard line drive to third base. Then Lupe Brambila laid down a bunt to score Buck, who beat the throw to the plate for a 3-0 lead.
Jaime Forman-Lau relieved LeCocq at this point. During her warm-up, Forman-Lau injured her ankle on a follow through, but after being taped, she returned to the circle.
The Bruins drew three walks, including one with the bases loaded. Forman-Lau got two fly outs, but Courtney Dale's clutch two-run single put UCLA up 7-0 after four innings.
Goerl retired the Cardinal in order in the fifth and the Bruins rallied for four consecutive singles in the bottom of the fifth to score the eighth run of the game.
In the circle, LeCocq took the loss for the Cardinal to fall to 14-7. She allowed five runs on five hits with three walks. Forman-Lau went 1 1/3 inning, giving up three runs on five hits. Of UCLA's 10 hits in the game, five never left the infield.
Stanford managed just one hit off of Goerl, who improves to 20-1 with the win. She had two strikeouts and no walks.
After Friday's 3-2 loss at Washington, Stanford has dropped two games in a row for the first time this season. With the win today, the Bruins avenged their 1-0 loss at Stanford in the opening weekend of Pac-10 play when the Cardinal snapped UCLA's 35-game winning streak.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday to conclude the series. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
UCLA 8, Stanford 0 (5) Score by Innings12345R H E #3 Stanford000000 1 1 #2 UCLA 200518 10 1WP - Keira Goerl (20-1) to Stacey Nuveman. LP - Maureen LeCocq (14-7) to Jessica Allister. Save - None. 2B - Crissy Buck (UCLA). 3B - None. HR - Tairia Mims (UCLA). E - Natasha Watley (UCLA), Cassi Brangham (STAN). LOB - Stanford 3, UCLA 9. Records: Stanford 44-8-1 (9-5), UCLA 48-4 (9-4).