Third-Ranked Bruins Outshine CSUN

Recap, photo courtesy of UCLA

LOS ANGELES - Redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan had two hits and four runs batted in, including a two-run homer, while junior Brianna Tautalafua also left the yard, as the third-ranked Bruins defeated CSUN on Tuesday at Easton Stadium by a score of 8-2.

The Bruins improved to 32-2 with the win, their seventh in a row, while the Matadors fell to 16-25.

Nine Bruins combined on 13 hits, as senior Kylee Perez, redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia and sophomore Bubba Nickles joined Jordan with two-hit games.

In the circle, freshman Holly Azevedo moved to 11-0 on the season, striking out five in seven innings and giving up three runs (two earned), seven hits and two walks. She struck out a pair in the seventh and had a 1-2-3 inning in the third.

UCLA scored in its first at-bat, as freshman Briana Perez led off with a double, moved to second on a ground out by her sister and scored on a Jordan single to center.

In the third, the Bruins broke it open with five runs. Briana Perez was hit to open the inning and moved to third on a single by Kylee Perez, who also swiped second on the play. Jordan followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring in junior Imani Johnson, who was running for Briana Perez, to make it 2-0. Garcia would single to right to plate Kylee Perez with the Bruins' third run, which was followed by Tautalafua's seventh homer of the season to center to make it 5-0. One out later, junior Paige Halstead walked and Shaw fought off a 12-pitch at-bat, including six fouls in a row, to double to right-center to score Halstead and bring the lead to 6-0.

Jordan made it 8-0 in the fourth, homering to left-center with Kylee Perez aboard after a leadoff bunt single. It was Jordan's seventh bomb of the season to tie Tautalafua for the team lead.

CSUN kept the game alive with two runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Savannah Horvath and another run coming home on a UCLA error, while adding a third run in the seventh on an RBI double by Kira Cauley, but the Bruins held on for the five-run victory.

The Bruins continue their homestand on Friday, resuming Pac-12 Conference play against Stanford at 7 p.m. Free live audio will be available at UCLABruins.com.