UCLA Beats Florida State to Advance to World Series

Finishing a dominant performance in the NCAA Division I softball regional at Easton Stadium, nine-time national champion UCLA routed Florida State, 7-1, in the championship game Sunday to advance to its 17th Women’s College World Series in 19 years.

Third-ranked UCLA is seeded fourth in the eight-team World Series and will play fifth-seeded Alabama in the first round Thursday in Oklahoma City.

“Whether we’re ranked third, fourth or fifth really doesn’t matter because there are so many teams that are capable of winning [the championship],” UCLA Coach Sue Enquist said.

UCLA (43-11-1) won’t be the favorite but it is playing like one. It had 10 or more hits in three of the four regional games, including 14 Sunday against Leslie Malerich.

Second baseman Lyndsey Klein and right fielder Lupe Brambila, the No. 9 hitter, each had three hits. Klein’s three-run home run in the third inning gave the Bruins a 4-0 lead.

“Our hitting is coming around,” Klein said. “One through nine, everyone is hitting.”

Amanda Freed dominated the Seminoles (51-27) for the second day in a row. After pitching a four-hitter in Saturday’s 6-1 semifinal win, the sophomore allowed one hit and struck out five in six innings.

Serita Brooks broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth when she barely beat out a chopper to shortstop Natasha Watley.

“In a game like this, to get a no-hitter would be like the cherry on top of everything,” Freed said. “You can’t really expect anything like that. No-hitters just happen.”

UCLA took the lead in the third on an adventurous play. Julie Marshall hit a spinning chopper to the mound that Malerich couldn’t field. Florida State second baseman Brandi Stuart caught Brambila straying from third base and threw to Becky Brock.

Brock fell backward on the bag and Brambila scored easily.

Klein then hit a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field fence to score Julie Adams and Marshall. It was Klein’s ninth homer.

“That’s the sign of a good club,” Enquist said. “I’ve been on a lot of clubs that haven’t been able to capitalize on those opportunities. If you’re playing Florida State with one run, they’re in the ball game.”

Marshall hit her team-leading 11th home run in the sixth.