Women’s tennis succumbs to Stanford in Pac-12 championship despite doubles success

For the sixth straight time, the Bruins found the Cardinal too much to handle.

“Today’s match was a lot like last year’s match,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “Winning the doubles point was really exciting, but we just had a really hard time winning those first sets.”

No. 9 UCLA women’s tennis (18-7, 8-2 Pac-12) whitewashed Arizona (12-12, 2-8) 4-0 and edged No. 11 Washington (19-4, 8-2) 4-3 to set up a repeat of last year’s Pac-12 finals. The Bruins were toppled by No. 5 Stanford (22-1, 10-0) 4-2 in the finals of the Pac-12 championship Saturday afternoon.

UCLA picked up only two of the six first sets in singles play. The Bruins lost to the Cardinal by an identical 4-2 margin last year after securing the doubles point.

UCLA opened the conference tournament with a sweep against Arizona in the quarterfinals and was on the verge of victory against Washington.

The Bruins were up 3-1 with No. 42 redshirt junior Jada Hart and No. 29 freshman Elysia Bolton both up a set and leading in the second set on the top-two singles courts.

Both second sets ended up going to tiebreakers that went against the Bruins, extending the match. Hart and Bolton ended up losing their third sets, knotting the score line at three apiece.

“We were all playing really well and had a couple of hiccups,” said sophomore Abi Altick. “(Senior Ayan Broomfield)’s effort and fight was incredible to watch, so I was really proud of her.”

Broomfield tweaked her right knee during her doubles matchup and had it wrapped up.

“We, as a group, decided that we were going to take (Broomfield) out at the third game of the second set because of her injury,” said senior Gabby Andrews. “But she said no and she fought through it. It was honestly the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

After losing the first set, Broomfield fought back to win the second set in a tiebreaker. The Toronto native eventually clinched a spot in the finals for UCLA with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory.

“She was hurting but she pushed through and got the win for us,” said Andrews.

Andrews and Broomfield combine to form the Bruins’ top doubles pairing and the No. 4-ranked duo in the nation. The Bruins have obtained the doubles point in their last 13 matches.

“Before the streak, we were struggling in doubles a little bit,” Andrews said. “We really focused on doubles in practice. Me and (Broomfield) really set the tone in doubles. We have a lot of energy and when the other girls see that we’re hyped and doing well on the first court, it gives them confidence as well.”

UCLA will find out who it will face in the NCAA championships Monday at 3:30 p.m. through the NCAA.com selection show.

Softball run rules Utah to claim victory fueled by strong hitting performance

More than a third of the Bruins’ wins this season have been mercy rules.

No. 2 UCLA softball (42-2, 16-1 Pac-12) beat unranked Utah (15-31, 4-13) 9-1 at Easton Stadium on Saturday night for its 16th run-rule victory of 2019. Saturday’s five-inning win – and UCLA’s second win in the series – also pushed the Bruins to a 16-1 Pac-12 record to match No. 5 Arizona at the top of the conference standings.

Freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo, who pitched out of a bases-loaded and no-out scenario in the first inning, earned her 14th win of the season with seven strikeouts and five hits in 99 pitches.

Despite her two losses this season, Faraimo has the second-highest win count in the Bruins’ pitching rotation, with redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia and sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo both currently undefeated with 19 and nine wins, respectively.

Assistant coach Kirk Walker said the squad reflected on Friday’s close win prior to Saturday’s matchup, and that UCLA’s four-run first inning and three-run second came from a change in mentality during batting sessions.

“It all started in batting practice, where we were a little bit more locked in and focused,” Walker said. “We worked more on the down ball, and the players really had a great (batting practice) before the game today. I’m not really surprised that we hit that well, because I feel like we did so well earlier on.”

Sophomore designated player Malia Quarles finished the game 2-for-2 with an RBI single in the first and a solo shot to left center in the fourth. UCLA and Utah combined for four home runs on Saturday – not including sophomore short stop Briana Perez’s single-turned-home run after an outfield error – to extend their combined series total to six home runs in two days.

Quarles said her hitting performance came from greater communication in the dugout and on the field. She said UCLA tried to focus more on hitting for power after Friday’s small-ball display.

“I was just really focused. I was talking to the batters in front of me, trying to get a plan and see what (Utah’s pitchers) were throwing at them,” Quarles said. “When I got up there, I knew exactly where I was going to take the ball.”

Saturday’s win also comes during UCLA softball’s Alumni Weekend, in which members of previous NCAA championship-winning teams return to Easton for recognition of their accomplishments as Bruins.

“We weren’t feeling pressure, we were feeling pride,” Walker said. “Between innings, when we heard all of those national championships being recognized and saw players in the stands who were on those teams in attendance, it gave us a great, prideful feeling for the program.”

Senior third baseman Brianna Tautalafua, who finished 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the second inning, also felt the alumni’s presence and said her and her team gave the alumni an offensive performance representative of UCLA’s current program.

“Playing in front of the alumni is an honor because they paved the way for us and set a standard for us to be able to play how we played today,” Tautalafua said. “It’s a really great feeling to entertain them and give them a show since they have been supporting us for the whole season.”

The Bruins will look to complete the sweep and extend their conference lead when finishing their series against the Utes with a Sunday matinee.

Baseball strikes Utah out for a second game to win weekend series

Jack Ralston continued the strikeout barrage Saturday.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (33-7, 13-4 Pac-12) defeated Utah (12-24, 4-14 Pac-12) 6-1, securing the team’s 10th consecutive series win to open the season. Redshirt junior right-hander Ralston got the win Saturday, pitching six innings, striking out eight Utes and improving his record to 7-0.

“Everything was working today,” Ralston said. “Fastball and changeup was mixing well and just pounding the zone, and I was trying to keep them off balance.”

Ralston’s eight strikeouts were a season-high for him, and the first five outs he recorded came by way of the K. Between Ralston and junior right-hander Ryan Garcia – who pitched a complete game shutout Friday – the Bruin starters have complied 22 strikeouts in their last 15 innings.

“(Ralston’s) mixing pitches really well right now,” said coach John Savage. “He’s done an exceptional job of giving us a chance every time he goes out there.”

Utah, however, did take early lead in the top of the first inning. First baseman Shea Kramer ripped a double over just out of junior second baseman Chase Strumpf’s reach, scoring right fielder Erick Migueles from first base. The Utes’ two hits in the first matched the their hit total from Friday night’s entire game.

After allowing a run in the first inning and a hit in the second, Ralston would complete his outing by retiring 14 straight batters.

“All of (Ralston’s) pitches move, even his fastball,” Strumpf said. “When’s he’s on, he’s getting aggressive and the first pitch it’s always a strike. So whenever pitchers are powering the zone like that, it’s always hard to hit against him, especially when all his pitches move.”

UCLA responded in the bottom half of the first to take the lead. Back-to-back doubles by junior shortstop Ryan Kreidler and Strumpf scored the first run for the Bruins. Senior designated hitter Jake Pries was hit by a pitch, leaving two runners on for junior outfielder Jack Stronach, who singled to drive in a sliding Strumpf.

“We know the game can change at any point, so I think just adding on and not being complacent always pushes us to score a few more,” Strumpf said. “I think it’s just being greedy with runs.”

The Bruins added two runs to their lead in the third when junior first baseman Michael Toglia hit his seventh homer of the season. Another home run by Pries in the fifth – followed by an eighth inning RBI single by Stronach – put the Bruins ahead by five. Five of the six runs scored by the Bruins came with two outs.

“Whenever you’re a pitcher and you get two outs, some guys get a little antsy and they make mistakes,” Savage said. “So I think we’ve taken advantage of that, and that has been a very good characteristic of this team.”

Saturday’s game also featured a spotless performance on defense by the Bruins. An over-the-shoulder catch by freshman center fielder Matt McLain in the third, a diving play by senior third baseman Jake Hirabayashi, and multiple picks by Toglia all contributed to UCLA’s error-free win. The Bruins currently have least amount of errors in the Pac-12.

“I give the team a lot of credit today,” Savage said. “(Ralston’s) a ground ball pitcher and we know that we have to play a lot of defense out there when he’s on the mound.”

UCLA will close out its series against Utah on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Beach volleyball loses close match to USC in Pac-12 championship dual

It came down to a single court in a three-set match again. And the Bruins still couldn’t clinch the dual.

No. 1 seed UCLA beach volleyball (31-3) fell to No. 2 seed USC (28-4) 3-2 for the second time this weekend in the final of the Pac-12 championship.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” said coach Stein Metzger. “But at the end of the day we want to win in Gulf Shores. That’s what’s important to us so we’ll take some good lessons from this.”

Senior Izzy Carey and freshman Lindsey Sparks gave the Bruins their first dual point for the third straight time. The 21-15, 21-18 court five win improved the pair’s record to 23-2.

On court four, junior Savvy Simo and sophomore transfer Lea Monkhouse – who fell to USC on Friday – won the first set before trailing the second 20-17.

But the pair fought off three set points to pull out a 23-21, 26-24 victory that put the Bruins up 2-0 heading into the second flight.

“It felt good to give the team the advantage to just need to win one instead of worrying about winning two,” Simo said.

But UCLA couldn’t win one.

“When their top three play well, that’s a challenge for us,” Metzger said. “We’ve got great fours and fives and that’s what has made us tough.”

The Trojans brought the dual to 2-2 with wins on courts one and three – two courts that they won in both duals against the Bruins this weekend.

Senior Sarah Sponcil and junior Lily Justine took the first set 21-18 on court two over USC’s Terese Cannon and Sammy Slater when Justine hit the ball backward over her head, landing it on Trojan territory.

UCLA dropped the second set 21-16, sending the match to a third set that determined the dual.

“There was a lot of stuff going on, and a lot of noise, so we just decided to play for each other and stick together as a team and block everything else out,” Justine said.

But Sponcil and Justine – who clinched the national championship for UCLA last season as well as the win against USC on Feb. 27 – couldn’t do it again.

Justine missed a hit that went out of bounds, giving the Trojans a 15-12 win.

“In the end, it was a battle of who was making less mistakes, so it was about being aggressive to make the other team play,” Justine said.

The Bruins are 2-3 against the Trojans on the season but will potentially face them again in the NCAA championships.

UCLA will have the opportunity to defend its national title in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Friday.

Caleb Wilson goes pro with Arizona Cardinals, becomes Mr. Irrelevant of 2019 draft

Caleb Wilson had to wait until the last possible second.

The former UCLA football tight end was picked 254th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday, making him this year’s Mr. Irrelevant – the final selection of the draft. Wilson was ranked as the No. 7 tight end in the draft by Pro Football Focus, but he saw 15 others drafted ahead of him over the weekend.

Wilson became the first Mr. Irrelevant in the history of UCLA.

This year marked the first time since 2012 – when no Bruins were drafted – that no UCLA representatives were picked on either of the first two days.

NFL.com, CBS Sports and USA Today all had Wilson slotted to go somewhere between No. 159 and No. 177, but Bleacher Report’s mock draft had him going No. 245.

Wilson led all NCAA tight ends in both receiving yards and receptions this season with 965 and 60, respectively, and his 7.8 average yards after the catch topped Pac-12 tight ends. However, both Washington’s Drew Sample and Stanford’s Kaden Smith were picked higher than Wilson.

In his career at UCLA, Wilson racked up 1,675 yards, 114 catches and five touchdowns in 24 games. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and recorded a 29-inch vertical jump at the NFL Scouting Combine in March.

Offensive lineman Andre James – who left UCLA football with one year of NCAA eligibility remaining – went undrafted. James was not projected to be selected and was ranked as the No. 470 overall prospect by NFL.com.

Wilson and James were the only Bruins to get invited to the combine, but 10 others were draft hopefuls this weekend as well. Safety Adarius Pickett, running backs Bolu Olorunfunmi and Giovanni Gentosi, quarterback Wilton Speight, wide receivers Christian Pabico, Eldridge Massington and Alex Van Dyke, punter Stefan Flintoft, and defensive backs Nate Meadors and Mossi Johnson will all join James in the undrafted free agent pool.

Rosen shipped east

Former UCLA football quarterback Josh Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Rosen threw 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his rookie year with the Arizona Cardinals. (Daily Bruin file photo)
Former UCLA football quarterback Josh Rosen was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Rosen threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his rookie year with the Arizona Cardinals. (Daily Bruin file photo)

If Wilson had joined the Cardinals two days ago, he would have been reunited with his former quarterback.

But when Arizona picked Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray No. 1 overall Thursday night, the writing was on the wall for Josh Rosen.

The former Bruin – along with a 2020 fifth round pick – was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Friday for the No. 62 pick in this year’s draft, which the Cardinals used on Massachusetts receiver Andy Isabella.

Rosen threw for 2,278 yards and 11 touchdowns across 13 starts in his rookie year with Arizona. He tossed 14 interceptions and finished with a 3-10 record and was targeted by former NFL receiver Steve Smith in a now-viral tirade for crying about having his job taken.

The former Pac-12 Second Team All-Conference selection did not actually cry or complain on social media, but Rosen did unfollow the Cardinals on Twitter after they picked up Murray.

The Dolphins, who passed on multiple quarterbacks in the first round, were able to pick up 2018’s No. 10 overall pick for a late-second rounder. Miami traded its supposed franchise quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans on March 17, but signed 14-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to take over the starting job in his place.

Fitzpatrick signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Dolphins after leading the NFL in yards per attempt last season. He and Rosen are expected to compete for the starting job for the 2019 season.

With Rosen now in Miami, three of the top four quarterbacks taken in last year’s draft will be suiting up for teams in the AFC East. Josh Allen was the starter for the Buffalo Bills last season, as was USC’s Sam Darnold for the New York Jets.

The three sophomores will each face off two times next season.