Bruins win their opener

Just another day for Megan Langenfeld. Just another victory for UCLA’s softball team.

UCLA defeated Long Beach State, 4-2, in an opening-round NCAA regional game at Easton Field on Friday, with Langenfeld the pitcher scattering seven hits and Langenfeld the hitter doubling in the go-ahead run.

UCLA will play Fresno State, a 2-1 winner over Nevada Las Vegas in Friday’s other game at Easton, today at 1 p.m. The winner will play for a regional championship on Sunday. The loser will, at 6 p.m. today, meet the winner of a 3:30 p.m. elimination game between Long Beach and UNLV.

The Bruins, seeded No. 2 in the NCAA playoffs, improved their record to 42-9 as Langenfeld, a junior right-hander from Bakersfield, improved her record to 15-1.

UCLA scored a run in the first inning on a walk, wild pitch, groundout and a Long Beach error. The Bruins made it 2-0 in the second on a one-out single by Julie Burney and a run-scoring double by Monica Harrison.

Long Beach (34-20) tied the score with two runs in the third on singles by Ashley Weber and Jonae Perez.

UCLA took the lead for good in the fifth when Langenfeld doubled home Katie Schroeder, who had reached base on a bunt single. A solo home run in the sixth by Burney -- her 10th homer of the season -- gave the Bruins some cushion.

Brooke Turner pitched well for Long Beach, giving up six hits and one walk with five strikeouts. Weber and Ashley Levine each had two hits for the 49ers.

Friday’s first game was dominated by Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh, a sophomore left-hander who struck out 16 while scattering six hits and two walks in running her record to 30-14.

Melloh has 446 strikeouts in 311 2/3 innings this season.

Fresno State is 37-18; UNLV fell to 31-20.