(Photo Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Freshman Delaney Spaulding extended her hitting streak to 10 games in dramatic fashion, recording a walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the seventh to send the eighth-ranked Bruins to a 3-2 victory over #13 Oklahoma on Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
The Bruins improve to 12-0, while the Sooners fall to 9-5.
Junior Ally Carda earned her sixth win of the season, striking out 10 for her third double-figure strikeout game of the year, allowing two unearned runs, five hits and two walks. She struck out at least one in every inning, with a pair in the first, third and fifth frames. Carda retired the last eight of the game, setting down the side in order in the sixth and seventh. At the plate, the Bruins had five different players record their five hits.
Oklahoma scored the game’s first run on a UCLA error in the top of the second. Erin Miller led off with a triple to left-center, but Carda got the next two outs on a ground out and a strikeout. Leslie Miller followed with a walk and then set off to steal second. The throw down was cut off by junior second baseman Gracie Goulder, who threw low to the plate, which allowed Erin Miller to score from third to make it 1-0.
The Sooners got another triple in the third, this time with one out, but Carda struck out the next two to end the threat.
The Bruins tied things up in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Spaulding walked and LaRosa doubled to left to drive in the freshman and even the game at one.
In the fourth, Carda wiggled her way out of another jam. Erin Miller led off with a double and Destinee Martinez slapped a single to third base to put runners at the corners. After Martinez stole second, Whitney Ellis lined one right into the glove of sophomore third baseman Mysha Sataraka, who tagged Miller leaning too far off third base for the double play. Another Carda strikeout ended the inning.
In the fifth, another UCLA error gave the Sooners their second run. Jessica Vest led off the inning by reaching on a dropped pop up by junior Tara Mueller in center and advanced to second. One out later, Georgia Casey singled up the middle to bring in the run.
In the bottom half of the fifth, it looked like the Bruins had taken the lead, but an outstanding catch kept it a 2-1 game. With two outs, Spaulding reached on an error by Vest at short and LaRosa lifted a deep fly ball to left-center. But Martinez brought the ball back in after reaching over the fence to keep the Sooners in front.
UCLA would end up tying the game an inning later. With one out, senior Jessica Hall doubled to left and was pinch-run for by junior Jessica Amaral, who scored one out later on a double from sophomore Brittany Moeai which landed just inside the left-field line to tie the contest at two.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was the Bruins turn to take advantage of an error to win it in walk-off fashion. With one out, Mueller atoned for her error with a single to left. Carda then grounded a ball to second which looked like it might have been the beginning of a double play, but it went under Casey’s glove, as Mueller advanced to third on the miscue. After Carda moved to second on a wild pitch, Spaulding finished off the comeback win with a single to right-center to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory.
The Bruins are back in action on Saturday against #16 Missouri (2:30 p.m.) and Maryland (5 p.m.). Both games will feature free audio and live stats at UCLABruins.com.
