Missouri
UCLA
UCLA Beats Mizzou in NCAA Regional Final
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 23, 1999
LOS ANGELES --At the NCAA softball regional final at UCLAs Easton Softball Stadium, top-seeded UCLA defeated second-seeded Missouri 12-5 to advance to the College World Series for the 15th time in school history.
The Bruin bats were swinging once again, as UCLA added 12 runs (including four runs each in the second and sixth innings) to the 26 it had previously scored in its three tournament games. Third baseman Julie Adams and catcher Stacey Nuveman had the hot bats again for the Bruins. Adams drove in two runs, bringing her tournament total to 13 RBIs, while Nuveman hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning, her third homer in her last two games. In addition, first baseman Julie Marshall went 2-5 with three RBIs.
Down 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Missouri rallied to keep the game alive. With two outs and two on after a hit batsman and fielding error, Erin Erickson cranked a three-run home run to end UCLA pitcher Courtney Dales bid for her third consecutive shutout in the tournament. But Dale, who struck out five and gave up just one earned run to earn her 31st victory in 32 decisions, struck out Amy Farmer to end the inning. The Bruins added three more runs from RBI singles by Lyndsey Klein, Adams and Marshall in the top of the seventh to widen the gap more. Missouri scored two more runs in the final frame, but it was too little too late for the Tigers.
UCLA (59-6) will face DePaul in the first round of the Womens College World Series in Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 pm CT. Missouri ends its season with a 41-21 record.
