OKLAHOMA, Okla. — Powered by a five-run third inning and a near flawless pitching performance from Amanda Freed, second-seeded UCLA ended LSU’s season with a 6-0 win in the Women’s College World Series.
The Tigers season ends with a 59-11 overall record and a third-place finish in the WCWS in the school’s first appearance. UCLA moves on to face No. 1 Arizona for the national championship on Monday. It will be the sixth time the two have squared off in the final. UCLA has won eight national championships in 18 WCWS appearances.
The end of the game marked the end of the career for five Tiger seniors. Dee Douglas, Stephanie Hastings, Ashley Lewis, Jennifer Shuelke and Auburne Ziober. The class had a four year record of 232-48 and won three Southeastern Conference championships.
Freed, an alternate on the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Team last summer, completely shut down the LSU order, allowing just one hit and striking out five in five innings. Courtney Dale came on in the sixth to pitch two innings and close the game.
The powerful UCLA line up broke the game open in the bottom of the third as it plated five runners to take a 6-0 lead. Stephanie Ramos got things started as she reached on a fielding error by first baseman Christy Connor.
After a sacrifice bunt by Mims sent pinch runner Amanda Simpson to second, Nuveman was intentionally walked.
Sua then singled to bring home Simpson and advance Nuveman to third. Casey Haraiwa, who came into pinch run for Nuveman, scored on Dale’s single to left field. Dale finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.
Monique Mejia, a pinch runner for Sua, crossed the plate when Freed doubled down the right field line. With LSU trailing 4-0, Britni Sneed relieved Lewis in the circle, but she could not silence the Bruin bats until more damage had been done.
Toria Auelua, the first batter Sneed faced, doubled deep to left field scoring Freed and Julie Hoshizaki, who pinch ran for Dale. With five runs already across, Sneed got Lupe Brambila to fly out and Natasha Watley to ground out to end the inning.
Following the third inning, Sneed contained the Bruin attack, scattering five hits and striking out five while pitching 3 2/3 innings. Lewis took the loss after giving up six runs, five of which were earned, on five hits to fall to 21-5 on the season.
The Bruins struck first in the opening inning as Tairia Mims scored from third base on Dale’s infield single. Mims had singled with one out in the inning and advanced to second when Stacey Nuveman worked a 12-pitch at bat and drew a walk.
Lewis then hit Claire Sua in the left arm to allow Mims and Nuveman move up to second and third, respectively. With the bases still loaded, Lewis struck out her pitching counterpart Freed.
LSU’s first hit came with one out in the fifth inning when Julie Wiese singled through the right side of the infield. However Ziober and Shuelke each struck out to end the inning.