No. 10 softball completes San Diego Classic I undefeated

In the bottom of the 11th inning of a tied game Saturday against Boise State, junior third baseman Alyssa Tiumalu stepped up to the plate. There were runners on first and third and there was nobody out.

With a 2-1 count, Tiumalu swung and hit a fly ball to left field. It landed in the left fielder’s mitt, but it was deep enough to allow sophomore pitcher Ally Carda to score from third base and win the game.

“We were in a dogfight,” Tiumalu said. “When I got into the box, I was just looking for something that I could take deep, so that we could get that run in and not try to do anything too much and just sacrifice to get the runner at third home.”

Her at bat signified the mantra UCLA softball has had all season: play the right way and the timely hit will follow.

“No matter what the situation is, (we) just got to keep on fighting and stand our ground,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “The game was won on defense. The defense kept us in the game long enough to come up with that timely hit.”

UCLA won all five of its games this weekend at the San Diego Classic I largely because of that defense. Tiumalu was a key part of that, moving out from behind the plate to play third base, while usual starter, freshman Mysha Sataraka, was out with a right thumb injury.

“If I’m asked to go play wherever it is, if it were to be second base, short or right field, it doesn’t matter as along as I’m doing whatever is needed for the team ultimately,” Tiumalu said.

No. 10 UCLA bounced back from a midweek loss to Cal State Fullerton. The Bruins handily defeated Fresno State, San Diego, New Mexico and San Diego State while narrowly edging Boise State in extra frames.

Two of those victories came by the mercy rule, UCLA’s seventh and eighth such wins of the season. Sophomore shortstop Stephany LaRosa gave UCLA all the run support it needed in the finale against SDSU by hitting a two-run shot in the fifth inning. It was her sixth homer of the season and allowed Carda and the defense to finish the job. LaRosa has been hitting out of the two-hole for the past two weeks after starting the season as the clean-up hitter, but the lineup shift has not affected her, as she is hitting .426 on the season.

“Unless coach gives me a sign to sac bunt or slap it, I don’t really change my approach,” LaRosa said. “I still have the same mindset and it’s just getting a pitch and (going) with it.”