UCLA chomps Gators

From UCLA:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The fifth-seeded Bruins broke the school record for home runs in a single season with three more bombs on Thursday and also scored the most runs ever in a UCLA postseason contest in a 16-3, six-inning victory over #4 Florida in the first game of the Women’s College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

UCLA (46-11) advances to the winner’s bracket, where it will play Hawai’i on Friday at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNHD and online at ESPN3.com, with Gametracker at UCLABruins.com.

Sophomore Andrea Harrison went 2-for-5 with a pair of three-run homers, driving in a career-high six. Senior Megan Langenfeld went 4-for-4 with four RBI, four runs scored and a home run. The Bruins now have 97 home runs on the season, besting the mark of the NCAA title-winning 1999 squad that hit 95.

Sophomore Samantha Camuso also had a two-hit game, as the Bruins had 11 hits as a team. The season-high 16 runs were the most scored by UCLA in an NCAA Tournament game, bettering the 14 against Creighton in 1999.

Langenfeld also earned the win in the circle, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to improve to 12-1 on the season. She struck out three and allowed four hits, striking out a pair in the fourth and retiring the side in order in the sixth.

The Bruins, playing as the visiting team, got on the board in the first inning. With one out, junior Monica Harrison walked, moved to second on an illegal pitch by Florida’s Stephanie Brombacher and advanced to third on a single to right by Langenfeld. Andrea Harrison then hit a 2-2 pitch out to left, her 14th home run of the season, to put UCLA ahead 3-0.

The Gators (48-9) tied it up in the bottom of the second. Florida loaded the bases to open the inning on a hit by pitch of Francesca Enea, a single to left by Brittany Schutte and a walk to Megan Bush. Tiffany DeFelice followed with a bases-clearing double to left-center to even the game at three. UCLA was able to keep the damage to three runs though. Following a sacrifice bunt for the first out, Langenfeld came in the game to pitch and retired Brittany Walker on a groundout to third and Michelle Moultrie on a foul out to left.

UCLA scored three runs in the third to re-take the lead. Junior GiOnna DiSalvatore walked to open the inning, moved to second on an illegal pitch and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Monica Harrison. Langenfeld followed with a double down the right-field line to plate Harrison to make it 4-3. Langenfeld then moved to third on another illegal pitch, this time by Florida’s Ensley Gammel, and one out later, sophomore Dani Yudin walked to put runners at the corners. Camuso made it 5-3 with a double to left to plate Langenfeld and Yudin came home on another illegal pitch by Gammel to extend the advantage to 6-3.

The Bruins added another run in the fourth. Freshman B.B. Bates and Monica Harrison each walked to open the inning and Langenfeld drove in Bates with a single to left-center to increase the margin to 7-3.

The Gators threatened in the fourth, but came up empty. With one out, DeFelice singled to left and Corrie Brooks singled to right, as DeFelice advanced to third on the play. Lauren Heil came in to run for Brooks and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Walker then chopped a ball to shortstop, with Monica Harrison leaping high in the air to snag it and throw home to get the force on DeFelice for the second out. Langenfeld ended the threat with a strikeout of Moultrie to maintain the four-run lead.

The Bruins busted it open in the sixth, sending 12 to the plate and scoring nine times. Monica Harrison led off with a double to center, Langenfeld was hit by a pitch and Andrea Harrison hit her second homer of the day and 15th of the season on a 1-0 pitch to make it 10-3. The Bruins then loaded the bases when Yudin reached on an error, Camuso doubled to center and senior Julie Burney walked. Senior Kaila Shull followed with a double down the right-field line to bring in junior Amy Crawford, who was running for Yudin, and freshman Devon Lindvall, who was in for Camuso, to increase the lead to 12-3.

UCLA wasn’t done though. One out later, DiSalvatore singled to center to plate Burney, and when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, Shull came home for the Bruins’ 14th run. Following the second out of the inning, Langenfeld launched her team-leading 17th home run of the season to left on a 3-1 offering to give the Bruins a 16-3 advantage.