Stanford @ UCLA

[oldNlazy]

With Gerhart pitching against Carda you knew there would be some balls leaving the yard. With Hall later joining the run fans of the long ball were kept happy. Of the 20 runs in game 1, 18 came on HRs. Things slowed down a bit in the 2nd game but there were still 5 dingers. Jenna Rich was the star for Stanford with 2 HRs a triple and 7 RBIs but that paled next to the Bruins' Stephany LaRosa who went 6 for 9 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs. (I don't know what will happen the rest of the week but it certainly gives her a leg up for POW.
Stanford 0 2 3 0 3 3 0=11-7-1
UCLA 2 0 5 0 0 2 0= 9-14-0
Gerhart vs Carda
Schroeder walked and LaRosa hit her 1st HR of the night to give the Bruins a 1st inning lead but the Cardinal came right back with a 2-run jack by Becerra. Rich gave the visitors the lead with a 3-run shot in the 3rd. It wasn't the HRs that hurt Carda so much it was the walks that preceded them. The Bruins set the pattern for the evening in the 2nd by leaving the bases loaded in the 5th (5 LOB in 2 innings). Carda got an IF hit but Snow was unable to bunt and struck out. With 2 outs LaRosa singled and Harrison walked but Gerhart got bates on a fly ball. They were more efficient in the 3rd. Fox got her 1st of 3 hits, a double to left and Yudin followed with a HR to right. Carda and Snow walked and Schroeder's line drive was caught up against the wall. Not to worry, LaRosa hit it over the batting cages.

Hall came in to pitch the 4th and retired the side in order. In the bottom of the 4th Bates walked and went to 2nd on a wild pitch but it was a poor decision to send her on Camuso's single and she was easily thrown out at the plate. This became more painful when Fox followed with single to right and Yudin blooped a hit to CF. Bases loaded, 1 out and a 3-1 count on Carda but she flew out and Reed struck out to leave the bases full. In the top of the 5th it was that girl Rich again hitting her 2nd 3-run HR and giving Stanford the lead for good. Schroeder led off the 5th with a double off the LF all but was thrown out trying to advance on LaRosa's grounder.

Stanford got themselves a little insurance in the 6th with another 3-run HR, this time off the bat of Leah White. Hall had 2 outs but hit Winter to give White her chance. In the 6th Camuso reached on an error and Fox doubled off the RF wall. At this point White relieved Gerhart and immediately got 2 ground ball outs. Snow's IF hit brought in both runners but Schroeder lined out to end the inning. Carda returned to pitch the 7th and got them 1-2-3. LaRosa led off the 7th with her 4th hit of the game but Harrison, the only Bruin to go hitless, grounded into a double play and Bates grounded out. In the end it was a matter of efficiency. UCLA left 11 runners base while Stanford left 1.

[oldNlazy]

Stanford 1 0 0 3 0=4-6-0
UCLA 3 0 2 3 4=12-12-0
White vs Rodino
Nice to chat with future Bruin Kylee Perez and family between games. It seemed time to give Rodino a shot and though she didn't pitch great she actually got the win when the Bruins shortened the game. Ashley Hansen got the Cardinal off to a quick start hitting it over the RF fence just below retired jersey #9. If the Bruins thought they should have teed off on Nyree White in the 1st game they wasted no time in the nightcap. Schroeder got the first of her 3 hits and LaRosa followed with her 3rd HR of the night. One out later Bates also left the yard and the Bruins had a lead they would never relinquish. Schroeder again singled to lead off the 3rd and stole 2nd. Harrison singled to RF, Bates walked to load the bases and Camuso delivered with a 2 run single to left. Hansen led off the 4th with a HR. She had only 2 HRs for the year but hit 2 off Rodino in 2 at bats. Burns then walked and Rich tripled off the RF wall. After Rouland singled her in that was all for Rodino. Carda came in and despite some illegal pitch problems pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the save.

With their lead cut to 1 the Bruins went to the long ball again in the 4th. This time it was Andrea Harrison who powered a 3-run shot over the CF fence. I think it was about this time that Stanford decided that Nyree White would have to take one for the team. Carda did have a scare in the 5th as Hansen doubled and Burns looked to do the same but Schroeder ran it down and Rick struck out to end Stanford's night. UCLA rallied with 2 outs to invoke the run rule. Camuso went oppo with a HR just to the left of the scoreboard. Two outs later Tiumalu and Snow singled and Schroeder got an RBI-single. Schroeder scored 4 runs so it was fitting that she scored the game winner. And how appropriate that LaRosa would close her colossal evening with a walkoff single down the RF line for her final 2 RBIs.