Photo Courtesy of Pac-12/ UCLA Athletics
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The second-ranked Bruins swept this week’s Pac-12 Conference awards, as senior Jessica Hall was named Pitcher of the Week and junior Stephany LaRosa earned Player of the Week honors.
Hall received her first career Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award and the third for a Bruin this season. Junior Ally Carda has won the conference pitcher honor twice on Feb. 25 and March 25. UCLA has tallied 57 Pac-10/12 Pitcher of the Week honors all-time.
LaRosa picked up her second Pac-12 Player of the Week accolade this season (March 31) and the fourth of her career (April 16, 2012 and April 22, 2013). It is the fifth Player of the Week award in 2014 for the Bruins, joining senior Alyssa Tiumalu (Feb. 11) and sophomore Mysha Sataraka (Feb. 25 and March 17).
The Bruins, who have received 72 Pac-10/12 Player of the Week awards all-time, have earned eight weekly plaudits this season, the most in the Pac-12.
Hall earned three of the Bruins’ four victories in the circle last week, striking out 21 in 15 innings. The senior opened the week with an 11-strikeout performance against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, tossing a five-inning, one-hit shutout. The 11 strikeouts were one shy of a career high and her third double-figure strikeout effort this season. Hall struck out three in the fourth and two in every other inning, posting 1-2-3 frames in the third and fourth.
On Saturday versus Oregon State, Hall fanned seven in six innings to pick up another win. She allowed a run, four hits and two walks. Hall struck out the side in the first and two in the fifth, posting 1-2-3 frames in the second, fourth and fifth. On Sunday, Hall tossed four innings of relief to earn her third victory of the week. She struck out three, giving up four runs, seven hits and two walks. Hall fanned a pair in the fifth.
Hall is 14-2 on the season with a 1.67 earned run average and 119 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings.
LaRosa had hits and RBI in all four Bruin victories last week, recording six hits in 11 at-bats (.545) with eight runs batted in, two home runs and four runs scored. LaRosa had a .600 on base percentage and a 1.273 slugging, with two doubles and two walks.
The junior opened the week with an RBI single in three plate appearances against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, also getting hit by a pitch. On Thursday versus Oregon State, LaRosa reached in three of her trips to the dish, singling and scoring in the first, walking in the fifth and driving in a pair of runs in the sixth on a double, eventually scoring another run.
In game two against the Beavers, LaRosa left the yard twice in the same game for the seventh time in her career, hitting a two-run shot in the first and a solo bomb in the sixth. On Saturday in the series finale, LaRosa had three productive at-bats, recording a sacrifice fly in the first, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the second and doubling in the sixth.
LaRosa is second on the team with a .398 batting average, 11 home runs and 37 runs batted in. She is also first with an .828 slugging, tied for second with a .525 on base percentage and third with 25 walks.
The second-ranked Bruins play a doubleheader against Long Beach State at Mayfair Park in Lakewood today, starting at 4:30 p.m. Free audio and live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.
