Bruins Lose in NCAA Softball

Monique Marier beat UCLA with her bat and glove Thursday, leading Florida State to a 2-1 upset of the top-seeded Bruins in the first game of the Women’s College World Series at Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Marier hit a solo home run, her ninth of the season, with two out in the top of the ninth inning to give the Seminoles the lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, the left fielder made a diving catch of Stephanie Ramos’ shallow fly ball with two out and runners on second and third to preserve the victory.

The eighth-seeded Seminoles’ victory marked only the second time the Series’ top-seeded team has lost the opening game. In 1991, Florida State was upset by UCLA, 1-0. Those Bruins lost to Arizona in the title game.

UCLA moves to the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will face Oklahoma, which lost, 4-2, to California.

The Bruins (54-8) had six hits against Florida State’s Leslie Malerich (34-12), who also walked nine batters. UCLA stranded 14 baserunners.

“The bottom line is that we have to have confidence that we will win on Saturday,” Bruin Coach Sue Enquist said.

UCLA scored in the bottom of the first inning, when Claire Sua’s two-out single drove in Natasha Watley, who had led off with a single and stolen second.

Florida State (54-18) tied it in the fourth. Brandi Stuart singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored when catcher Stacey Nuveman’s throw sailed into left field, one of three Bruin errors.

Sophomore Keira Goerl (31-5) suffered the defeat. She gave up four hits, walked one and had 12 strikeouts.

The Bruins must win two games both Saturday and Sunday to advance to the championship game Monday.

Bob Rohwer

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USC’s Nick Rainey defeated Benjamin Becker of Baylor, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round of the NCAA men’s singles tennis championships at College Station, Texas. Rainey and Ryan Moore beat Oliver Choo and Jonathan Chu of Harvard, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, in the first round of doubles.

UCLA’s Tobias Clemens, Rodrigo Grilli and Marcin Matkowski lost second-round singles matches--Clemens to UNLV’s Thomas Schneiter, 6-4, 6-3; Grilli to California’s John Paul Fruttero, 6-2, 7-5; and Matkowski to Olivier Maiberger of San Diego State, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Matkowski and Jean-Julien Rojer, top-seeded in doubles, were upset by Tulane’s Michael Kogan and Victor Romero in the first round, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4. Clemens and Lassi Ketola upset Johan Brunstrom and Eric Cohn of Southern Methodist, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3.

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Jewel Peterson of USC lost to Jessica Lehnhoff of Florida, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the quarterfinals and the Trojans’ Luana Magnani was defeated by Stanford’s Lauren Kalvaria, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round of the NCAA women’s singles tennis championships at Stanford.

In doubles, UCLA’s Megan Bradley and Lauren Fisher defeated Duke’s Hillary Adams and Kelly McCane, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2, to advance to the semifinals. USC’s Peterson and Tiffany Brymer lost in the second round, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), to Claire Carter and Darija Klalc of Washington.

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Cal State Los Angeles senior Nicole Duncan advanced to the final of the 100-meter dash at the NCAA Division II track and field championships at Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas.

Duncan won a preliminary heat in 11.49 seconds. The final is Saturday.

Cal State L.A. freshman Patrice Edwards was fifth in a 400 hurdles heat in 1:03.66, failing to advance to the final.

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Duke’s Virada Nirapathpongporn shot a two-under-par 70 to take a three-stroke lead over Georgia’s Summer Sirmons after the third round of the NCAA Division I women’s golf championship at Auburn, Wash.