Seventh-Seeded Bruins Run Rule CSUN in NCAA Tournament Opener

UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

LOS ANGELES - After spotting visiting CSUN a run in the first, the seventh-seeded Bruins scored nine unanswered with five in the third and four in the fourth, as UCLA opened up the NCAA Tournament with a 9-1, five-inning victory on Friday at Easton Stadium.

The Bruins (46-10) face Texas in a winner's bracket game on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Longhorns defeated San Diego State in Friday's first contest by a score of 8-3. The Matadors (41-16) take on the Aztecs at 2:30 p.m. The loser of Saturday's first game and the winner of the second contest will play again at 5 p.m. All three contests will air live on ESPN3.com.

The Bruins recorded 11 hits from seven different players. Junior Allexis Bennett was 3-for-3 with two steals, senior Ally Carda had two hits and four RBI and junior Mysha Sataraka went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in.

In the circle, Carda improved to 27-6 on the season, striking out three in five innings and giving up four hits, one run and two walks.

A solo homer by Katie Hooper in the first inning put CSUN in front, but in the bottom of the third, the Bruins hit three long balls of their own to take the lead. Following a leadoff double by Bennett, Carda belted her eighth homer of the season to right-center to put the Bruins up 2-1.

Senior Stephany LaRosa followed with a deep shot to right, her 16th of the year, to up the lead to 3-1. One out later, sophomore Gabrielle Maurice was hit by a pitch and Sataraka homered to center, her fifth of the year, to put UCLA on top 5-1. It was the first time this season the Bruins hit three homers in one inning.

In the fourth, sophomore Delaney Spaulding and Bennett led off with back-to-back singles, and after each stole their next base, Carda singled to left-center to score both to make it 7-1. Carda advanced to second on a throwing error in center and was pinch-run for by senior Sam Duran.

One out later, freshman Maddy Jelenicki reached on another Matador error to put runners at second and first for Maurice, who doubled to right to plate Duran to increase the advantage to 8-1. Sataraka followed with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in senior Jessica Amaral, who was running for Jelenicki, to make it 9-1.