UCLA Reaches Title Game

UCLA pitchers Amanda Freed and Courtney Dale combined on a two-hitter and the Bruins used a five-run third inning Sunday to eliminate Louisiana State, 6-0, and reach the championship of the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

The second-seeded Bruins (62-5) will face top-seeded Arizona in today’s championship game.

Toni Mascarenas, a senior from Garden Grove, hit a first-inning homer and pitcher Becky Lemke made it stand up as Arizona defeated Stanford, 1-0, to reach the title game for the first time since 1998.

For UCLA, Freed (21-3) gave up one hit and struck out five in five innings.

Dale’s RBI single in the first gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead, and she also drove in a run in the third. The big hit in that inning was a two-run double by Toria Auelua.

Dale, Freed, Claire Sua and Stephanie Ramos each had two hits for UCLA, which has reached the championship game for the third consecutive season.

“It was good to see us hit the ball like we did,” UCLA Coach Sue Enquist said. “We started to look more like the club that we are.”

Julie Wiese and Christy Connor got the only hits for Louisiana State (59-11).

“I think we kind of hit the wall out there when UCLA scored,” Louisiana State Coach Yvette Girouard said. “They’re too tremendous a program to open the door for them.”

Arizona, which is 3-1 against UCLA in championship games, won two of three games against the Bruins this season.