UCLA Beats Arizona, Nears Pac-10 Title

UCLA slugger Stacey Nuveman doesn’t think she owns Arizona pitcher Jennie Finch. She’ll have a hard time convincing anyone otherwise, however.

Nuveman hit a two-run home run in the third inning to give the Bruins the lead and pitcher Keira Goerl made it stand in top-ranked UCLA’s 4-2 victory over the second-ranked Wildcats on Friday at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

Goerl (27-4) struck out 12, helping give the Bruins a one-game lead over the Wildcats (48-8, 15-4 in Pacific 10) with two games remaining. UCLA (48-6, 16-3) needs only one win in a doubleheader today against Arizona State to clinch the Pacific 10 title.

It was Nuveman’s third homer against Finch this year. She had two home runs in a 6-5 victory April 7 that ended Arizona’s 70-game home winning streak.

“Every day is a new day,” Nuveman said. “I respect her too much to say that [I own her]. History has been in her favor. Hopefully, my luck doesn’t run out.”

Arizona’s Lovieanne Jung hit the first pitch of the game for a home run.

But with one out in the third, the Bruins’ Natasha Watley hit a triple off the fence and Tairia Mims singled her home one out later.

With Mims on first, Nuveman hit a 2-2 pitch from Finch inside the left-field foul pole.

Eric Stephens

*

The NCAA women’s water polo Final Four, to be played at USC’s McDonald’s Swim Stadium today and Sunday, includes three of the schools that competed for the inaugural championship last spring.

Defending champion UCLA (21-3) opens against Western Water Polo Assn. champion Loyola Marymount (20-7) today at 5 p.m. Michigan (25-11), the only newcomer, plays Stanford (21-2), last year’s runner-up, at 3:30 p.m.

Christina Teller