LAS VEGAS — UCLA used 14 singles to score seven runs, while shutting out LSU, 7-0, in claiming the championship of the UNLV Invitational at the Desert Breeze Softball Complex.
The second-ranked Bruins improved to 14-0 while the fourth-ranked Tigers, which lost their second straight, fall to 8-3.
Amanda Freed moved to 7-0 on the year after pitching 5 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. Britni Sneed gave up 7 runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss and fall to 3-2.
Sneed kept the UCLA offense at bay for the first four innings but the Bruin bats finally broke through with three runs in the fifth. Stephanie Ramos got things started with a single to the left side of the infield. Erin Rahn then sacrificed bunted and reached when third baseman Julie Wiese slipped and could not make the throw to first
With runners on first and second, Natasha Watley singled to left to bring Ramos home. A Freed single loaded the bases to set up Stacey Nuveman’s two-run single to left field.
An error on a relay throw to second attempting to catch Freed off the bag ended up in right field allowing Freed to advance to third and attempt to go home, but Trena Peel came up firing from right field to nail Freed at the plate.
LSU had its first scoring chance of the game in the fourth inning when Christy Connor laced a one-out single to centerfield. After entering as a pinch runner, Sarah Fitzgerald stole second and moved to third on an Erin Johnson groundout, but Weise struck out swinging to end the inning.
UCLA tacked on four more runs in the sixth with two outs. Claire Sua led off with a single but pinch runner Monique Mejia had reached only second after two outs. Ramos then walked and Rahn singled to load the bases. A Watley single brought Mejia home and Freed single scored Ramos.
Nuveman single to left that brought around Watley and Rahn that gave UCLA their final margin of victory.
The main spark for the Tiger offense, which managed only four hits, was Christy Connor’s two-for-three performance.
LSU returns to action on Wednesday against Nicholls State at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park.