#13 UCLA Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader

Sophomore Johanna Grauer struck out four in 10 innings of work on Saturday. Photo is courtesy of UCLA

LOS ANGELES - The 13th-ranked Bruins saw their two pitchers, sophomores Johanna Grauer and Selina Ta'amilo, limit Saturday’s competition to just seven hits, as UCLA swept a doubleheader with a 9-0, five-inning win over Charleston Southern and a 3-2, walk-off victory versus Syracuse at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at Easton Stadium.

Against Charleston Southern (9-7), both Bruin hurlers struck out one, as Grauer (4-6) gave up just one hit and one walk in three innings and Ta’amilo allowed only one hit in two frames. Offensively, freshman Paige Halstead had a pair of hits and three RBI, senior Allexis Bennett posted two hits and two runs scored and sophomore Kylee Perez drove in a pair of runs.

The Bruins (11-8) scored a run in their first at-bat when Bennett led off with an infield single, moved
to second on a ground out by junior Delaney Spaulding and scored on a Perez single up the middle.

UCLA then scored eight times on only two hits in the second thanks to three walks, two hit by pitches and an error. Halstead led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a passed ball, which was followed by a walk to freshman Zoe Shaw. One out later, Bennett reached on an error to load the bases. The Bruins scored their next five runs without a hit on a Spaulding walk, a Perez hit by pitch, a free pass to senior Mysha Sataraka, a plunking of junior Gabrielle Maurice and a walk to sophomore Madeline Jelenicki to go up 6-0. Halstead then cleared the bases with a three-run double to left-center to put the Bruins up 9-0, which would prove to be the final score.

In the nightcap, Grauer improved to 5-6 on the season, striking out three in the complete-game victory and giving up just two runs and five hits. She had 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth. Six different players accounted for the Bruins’ seven hits, as Bennett recorded a pair, while Spaulding drove in two.

After four and a half scoreless innings, the Bruins (12-8) got on the board in the fifth. Halstead reached on a fielding error to open the frame, moved to second on a passed ball, and one out later, was pinch-run for by junior Robyn Corruth, who got to third on a sacrifice by senior Jazmine Sosa. The Orange (8-9) would decide to walk Bennett intentionally to bring up Spaulding, who made them pay with a double to right-center to put UCLA up 2-0.

Syracuse tied the game thanks to solo homers by Corinne Ozanne in the sixth and Andrea Bombace in the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Halstead started the rally with a walk and moved to second on a single to short by Shaw. One out later, Bennett walked off with the win, doubling to left-center, to score Halstead and give the Bruins the 3-2 win.

The Bruins close out the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament on Sunday (today) against UC Davis at 1 p.m. Live stats and audio will be available at UCLABruins.com.