Johanna Grauer started off UCLA softball’s 2016 NCAA Tournament run by throwing a no-hitter. For the first 4 1/3 innings, so did Cal State Bakersfield’s Amber Mills.
The first half of game two in the Los Angeles Regional was a defensive battle. Neither Grauer nor Mills allowed a single baserunner until the bottom of the fourth, when junior shortstop Delaney Spaulding broke up Mills’ no-hitter streak with a pop-up single to shallow right field.
The sophomore right-hander, however, retired 21 of the 22 batters she faced in the team’s 7-0 victory over the Roadrunners.
All of the No. 12 Bruins’ seven runs came in the two innings immediately after their first hit.
Sophomore catcher Madeline Jelenicki led off the inning with a first-pitch home run to left field. Junior left fielder Gabrielle Maurice followed with a double to right-center and two batters later, freshman right-fielder Paige Halstead added two runs to the Bruins lead with a home run of her own.
The following inning, Bakersfield’s pitching started falling apart. Mills began the bottom of the sixth with three straight walks. Sydney Raeber replaced her on the mound, and immediately gave up a grand slam to Maurice, the first batter she faced.
The Bruins hung on to their seven-run lead through the top of the seventh inning, but a two-out walk to Raeber broke Grauer’s perfect game bid. Raeber was the Roadrunners’ lone baserunner of the game.
UCLA will take on Cal State Fullerton in the winners’ bracket Saturday at noon, after the Titans defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs 6-4 earlier Friday.