WCWS: UCLA falls to Michigan in game 2
The Pac-12 had one team in action in the Women’s College World Series Friday with UCLA losing to Michigan and Oregon having a day off from competition. Oregon plays Alabama in an elimination game at approximately 11:30 a.m. PT Saturday, while UCLA plays an elimination game against the winner of the Auburn-Tennessee Saturday morning elimination game at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday.
Michigan right fielder Kelsey Susalla went 4-4 with three RBI and two runs to lead the third-seeded Wolverines to a 10-4 win over seventh-seeded UCLA Friday night. With the win, Michigan advances to the WCWS semifinals.
The Wolverines broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Montemarano’s second sacrifice fly of the game before tacking on two runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.
UCLA took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after loading the bases with nobody out in the first and getting an RBI single from Mysha Sataraka, an RBI walk from Maddy Jelenicki and an RBI hit-by-pitch from Gracie Goulder. The Bruins chased Michigan starter Megan Betsa, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, in the first after she threw 38 pitches and recorded just two outs.
But Michigan tagged UCLA starter Ally Carda for four runs in the third. After the Wolverines stranded runners on second and third with one out in the second, Susalla hit a two-run double to right that was nearly snagged by Kylee Perez to tie the game at 3-3, and Lindsay Montemarano drove in Susalla on a sac-fly to give Michigan the lead (Susalla advanced to third on a throwing error when she doubled).
UCLA unconventionally knotted things up again in the bottom of the third when Jelenicki hit a grounder to short with runners on second and third with one out. With Jelenicki out at first, Sataraka was caught in a rundown between second and third, but an errant throw was made to third, allowing Stephany LaRosa to score from third. Sataraka got herself caught in another rundown and was tagged out to end the inning before another batter could come to the plate.
UCLA had a chance to cut into a 7-4 deficit in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second and two down, but Wolverine center fielder Sierra Lawrence made a diving catch on a well-hit line drive by Delaney Spaulding.
Wolverine pitcher Haylie Wagner picked up the win in relief of Betsa, allowing just one unearned run on four hits in 6.1 innings of work. She struck out five and walked just one. Left fielder Kelly Christner went 3-5 for Michigan with three RBI and two runs, while shortstop Abby Ramirez had a 3-3 day with three runs.
Sataraka had a two-hit day to pace the UCLA offense. Carda had a tough night in the circle, allowing 13 hits, nine runs (eight earned) and four walks over 5.2 innings. Carda started the game, left in the fourth, re-entered in the fifth and was relieved for good in the seventh to save her arm for Saturday’s elimination game.
LaRosa was 0-1 at the plate for the Bruins, snapping her 16-game hit streak.
Bruins fall 10-4 to Michigan. UCLA plays tomorrow vs. Tennessee or Auburn at 4 p.m. PT in an elimination game. pic.twitter.com/9j0D1hxp6g
— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 30, 2015
Pac-12.com will provide recaps of both games tomorrow involving the Ducks and Bruins.