UCLA Swept by Arizona

Pitching, the cornerstone of UCLA softball through an unprecedented eight NCAA national titles, is conspicuously missing this season.

And hard-hitting and top-ranked Arizona (38-4, 11-1) exploited the obvious Saturday in a rematch of last year’s Women’s College World Series semifinal, pounding out 23 hits against two UCLA pitchers in its second Pacific-10 doubleheader sweep of the Bruins (28-8, 9-7) this year, 5-3 and 5-1, before 850 at Easton Field in Westwood.

UCLA junior right-hander B’Ann Burns (18-5) surrendered 12 hits and five earned runs in losing the opener.

In the second game, Arizona, the defending national champion, broke open a scoreless duel in the third by scoring four runs in beating the Bruins’ Kaci Clark (8-3).