Bruin Bats Come Alive in Victory Against Rutgers

March 8, 2008

LAKEWOOD, Calif. - Second-ranked UCLA pounded out nine runs and 14 hits, with four hits coming from freshman Katie Schroeder, as the Bruins beat Rutgers 9-0 on Saturday at the Long Beach State Invitational at Mayfair Park.

The Bruins improve to 23-2 on the season with their 17th straight victory, while the Scarlet Knights fall to 6-7.

Sophomore Megan Langenfeld started and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out a season-high seven to improve to 4-0 on the season. Freshman Donna Kerr tossed the last two scoreless frames, giving up a hit with two strikeouts.

Junior Amanda Kamekona each had two hits, as did freshmen Samantha Camuso and GiOnna DiSalvatore.

The Bruins scored in the first inning for the 17th time this season and stayed undefeated when accomplishing the feat. With one out, Kamekona tripled down the left-field line and senior Krista Colburn walked. UCLA then pulled off a delayed double steal, as Colburn ran down to second and Kamekona came home to put the Bruins up 1-0. One out later, Langenfeld doubled to right-center to plate Colburn and increase UCLA’s lead to 2-0. Camuso made it 3-0 on a double to right to plate Langenfeld, and after a walk to sophomore Julie Burney, freshman Monica Harrison singled to right to score Camuso for a 4-0 advantage.

In the second, UCLA tacked on another run. Schroeder led off with a bunt single, but was erased at second on a fielder’s choice groundout by Kamekona. Then after Kamekona was retired at second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Colburn, DiSalvatore tripled to deep right to score Colburn and make it 5-0.

UCLA added four more in the top of the seventh. DiSalvatore singled up the middle and was pinch-run for by freshman Lauren Mirabal, while Langenfeld walked and was pinch-run for by freshman Amy Crawford. After both pinch-runners moved up on a passed ball, Camuso tapped a grounder to second, but Nicole Lindley bobbled it to allow Mirabal and Crawford to score to make it 7-0.

Burney then doubled to left to move Camuso to third and was pinch-run for by freshman Grace Murray. An RBI groundout by Harrison scored Camuso to make it 8-0 and a double to right by sophomore Kaila Shull plated Murray to put the Bruins up 9-0.

Langenfeld retired the first eight batters of the game before allowing a triple to Lindley with two outs in the third. The only other hits for the Scarlet Knights were a two-out single by Sarah Kalka in the fourth off Langenfeld and a two-out single by Mandy Craig in the seventh off Kerr. Chrissy Yard gave up nine runs (eight earned), 14 hits and three walks in seven innings with two strikeouts.

The Bruins finish up play at the Long Beach State Invitational on Sunday when they face #8 Northwestern at 11:15 a.m. and Long Beach State at 1:30 p.m.