#13 Softball Falls In Four-Hour Marathon Game To #1 UCLA, 5-4

Friday, April 13

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:00 PM

University of Washington

24-18, 3-4

UCLA

41-3, 4-3

#13 Washington

#2 UCLA Bruins

Revised Softball Schedule For NFCA Leadoff Classic

#13 Softball Falls In Four-Hour Marathon Game To #1 UCLA, 5-4

April 13, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

April 13, 2001

Box Score

LOS ANGELES - Claire Sua's RBI single with the bases-loaded in the bottom of the 14th inning helped the top-ranked UCLA Bruins defeat the 13th-ranked Washington Huskies, 5-4, Friday in Pac-10 softball action at Easton Stadium. With the loss, the Huskies fell to 27-15 overall and 3-4 in the Pac-10, while the Bruins improved to 41-3 and 4-3 in conference play.

After two and a half scoreless innings, UCLA got on the board first when Tairia Mims lifted a three-run home run to right field. The Huskies, however, quickly rebounded with a four-run outburst in the top of the fifth. UW senior Kim DePaul (Tomball, Texas) hit a two-run double to right-center field with the bases-loaded to score senior Kelly Hauxhurst (Westminster, Calif.) and freshman Amanda Oleson (Agoura Hills, Calif.). After junior Becky Simpson (Tumwater, Wash.) grounded out to first base for the second out, sophomore catcher Amy Hanson (Mt. Vernon, Wash.) drilled a single up the middle to score senior Christie Rosenblad (Fillmore, Calif.) and DePaul, giving the Huskies a 4-3 lead.

The Bruins tied the score at 4-4 in their next at-bat in the bottom of the fourth as shortstop Natasha Watley singled home pinch runner Amanda Simpson.

The two schools' then battled over the next nine innings, as UW pitcher Tia Bollinger (Santa Ana, Calif.) and UCLA hurler Keiria Goerl, both managed to keep the other team off the scoreboard. The Huskies had five runners reach second base, including runners at the corners in the top of the ninth. UCLA, meanwhile, had its best scoring opportunity with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Bollinger struck out Mims to end the threat.

After the UW left DePaul stranded at second base in the top of the 14th, Mims doubled to lead-off the bottom of the 14th inning. Bollinger then intentionally walked catcher Stacey Nuveman to put runners at first and second and no outs. UCLA designated player Courtney Dale loaded the bases with an infield single off Bollinger's legs before Sua threaded the game-winner up the middle to score pinch runner Stephanie Swenson.

Bollinger pitched all 14 innings in falling to 24-4 overall, allowing 14 hits and striking out nine. Goerl picked up the win, to move to 16-0 in 2001, with 14 strikeouts.

Washington and UCLA face each other again Saturday for another single game at Easton Stadium beginning at 2 p.m.