March 10, 2009
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – No. 5 UCLA sent a pair of solo home runs out of Easton Stadium to help the Bruins down the Notre Dame softball team, 3-1. Tuesday’s non-conference loss dropped Notre Dame’s overall record to 6-7, as UCLA improved to 24-3.
The Irish continue their West Coast trip Thursday with games against Penn State and Oklahoma to begin the Judi Garman Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton.
Katie Schroeder homered for UCLA in the home half of the first to give the Bruins a quick 1-0 lead.
Linda Kohan hit a sharp ball past third base that traveled down the left field line for a double, and then Christine Lux doubled to left-center to score pinch-runner Kasey O’Connor in the top of the second.
Alexa Maldonado saved a potential Bruin run from crossing in the third when she robbed GiOnna DiSalvatore by tracking a deep ball to center with two outs and a runner on first.
UCLA took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Kaila Shull had a lead-off single, moved to second on an Andrea Harrison sacrifice bunt, and eventually scored on Julie Burney’s infield single. Brittney Bargar (4-3), who already had two strikeouts under her belt, recorded another by getting Amy Crawford to look at a third heater to leave two runners on base.
Notre Dame had an opportunity to take advantage of a Bruin fielding miscue in the sixth. One play after the UCLA error, Katie Fleury was held up at third with two outs on Heather Johnson’s deep single to left, but Johnson was thrown out at second while trying to stretch her hit into a double.
Shull gave UCLA some breathing room with a solo home run to right in the sixth. She finished with a game-high two hits.
Notre Dame finished with five hits, while UCLA managed its three runs on six hits. Both teams were charged with one error.
Donna Kerr (13-3) struck out 11 batters and gave up one earned run without issuing a walk in the win. Bargar went 6.0 innings and fanned five Bruins while giving up three earned runs.
–ND–