By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
vmazeika@media.ucla.edu
OKLAHOMA CITY – UCLA softball was back, if only for a game.
Rebounding from an atrocious performance Thursday in their
Women’s College World Series opener, the top-seeded Bruins
eliminated Oklahoma 2-0 in front of 6,644 fans Saturday at the Don
E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium.
Tairia Mims almost opened up the scoring for UCLA (55-8) with a
shot to straight center field, but Erin Evans tracked the ball down
and looked to steal a home run from Mims.
With the momentum, the fifth-seeded Sooners (49-16) looked to
take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Kelli
Braitsch walked with one out, one of six free passes handed down by
UCLA ace Keira Goerl, and promptly stole second base. Christina
Enea then singled up the middle and Braitsch, who got a late jump
off second, was waved home.
Centerfielder Amanda Freed scooped the ball up and quickly fired
a one-hopper to Stacey Nuveman at home. Braitsch attempted to slide
head first around Nuveman’s six-foot frame, but she was tagged out
before her hand could touch home plate.
"That’s what catchers live for, it’s the play at home," Nuveman
said. "That was indicative of what we did defensively all day."
Play after play, UCLA atoned for Thursday’s trio of errors.
Goerl walked two more hitters after the play at home plate to
load the bases with two outs for Sooner catcher Heather Scaglione.
With her 34th pitch of the inning (15 of them balls), Goerl jammed
Scaglione, and second baseman Crissy Buck dove head first to snatch
the ball and strand all three runners
"I hoped it would drop in," Scaglione said. "It wasn’t the best
swing, but with the way the infield was playing, I thought it had a
chance. It kind of ended up being right to them. That seemed to be
the luck we had today. Everything was right to them."
Later in the game, Bruin left fielder Stephanie Ramos tracked
down a fly ball near the fence in foul territory and laid out to
end a Sooner threat in the bottom of the fifth. Then, in the next
inning, shortstop Natasha Watley dove to prevent a single up the
middle, throwing out Enea from her knees.
"What was critical today, and I think is going to be critical
throughout the tournament, you’re going to have to deliver on
defense," UCLA head coach Sue Enquist said.
Goerl (32-5) wasn’t exactly perfect, but after surviving a rough
first inning she kept Oklahoma’s hitters off balance with her
change-up and finished the day by allowing only a single hit to
counter the six walks.
"I felt very confident today," Goerl said. "It was not my best
day, but we won."
The only run Goerl would need came from Nuveman’s bat. Leading
off the top of the second, Nuveman hit her 20th home run of the
season off Sooner ace Jennifer Stewart (22-8). It was her 90th
career home run, extending her own NCAA record.
Asked what pitch she hit, Nuveman said: "Something that looked
real good."
Monique Mejia drove in UCLA’s insurance run with an RBI single
in the top of the fifth to score pinch runner Amanda Simpson.
The win meant UCLA still has one more game to win Saturday and
two more Sunday before Monday’s title game. A tough task to say the
least, but by no means impossible.
"I think our kids did a great job," Enquist said. "They’re
excited, but it’s like, ‘Here’s the team they put in front of us.
Let’s knock them down. Now who’s standing next?’"
That would be Arizona State, about four hours later.