Freed Gets Record Win as UCLA Beats Liberty

Amanda Freed became the winningest pitcher in UCLA softball history by throwing a one-hit shutout as the top-ranked Bruins defeated Liberty, 3-0, in the first round of the NCAA regional playoffs Thursday at Columbia, S.C.

Freed, a senior, surpassed B’Ann Burns with her 97th career victory. She struck out 10 and has 747 in her career, moving past DeeDee Weiman into third place in Bruin history.

Tairia Mims hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, her 12th of the season. UCLA (51-6) added another run in the sixth on a single by Natasha Watley that scored Stephanie Ramos.

Sixth-seeded Liberty (28-32) had the game’s first scoring opportunity when Mary Beth Kennell led off the third inning with a single and reached third on an error and a sacrifice.

Amanda Goc hit a grounder to Freed, who threw to Mims at first for the out. Kennell took off for home and Mims threw her out to end the threat.

In Fresno, Cal State Fullerton (51-11) took advantage of an Evansville error in the sixth inning to score all three of its runs in a 3-0 victory over the Aces. With one out and the bases loaded, Evansville second baseman Haven Shank dropped a foul ball off the bat of the Titans’ Yasmin Mossadeghi.

Mossadeghi hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in Jodie Cox, and Amy LaRocque’s single scored Mossadeghi and Monica Lucatero.

Cox gave up four hits and struck out five in improving to 18-4.

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UCLA claimed the doubles point and then got strong singles performances from Sara Walker and Catherine Hawley to defeat USC, 4-1, in the third round of the NCAA women’s tennis championships at Stanford.

The Bruins (19-4) will play Georgia today in the quarterfinals.

Walker defeated Luana Magnani, 6-1, 6-2, and Hawley defeated Melissa Esmero, 6-4, 7-5.

The Bruins’ Lauren Fisher beat Tiffany Brymer, 2-6, 6-1, 7-2, and the teams of Walker-Petya Marinova and Fisher-Megan Bradley had victories for the doubles point.