By Greg Lewis
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
UCLA literally stole the game away from Canisius.
On the strength of an NCAA record-setting 10 steals, No. 1
seeded and third-ranked UCLA (40-11) scored eight runs to beat
sixth-seeded Canisius (33-22) 8-0, despite getting more than one
base hit in only one inning.
Canisius came out aggressive in the top of the first, with Diana
Calandra popping the first pitch from Amanda Freed (22-7) into
center for a leadoff single. Freed then used her All-American
changeup to strike out the second and third batters of the inning.
Catcher Julie Marshall sandwiched in a pick off of Calandra at
first for the second out.
Freed led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch double.
After the next batter, Natasha Watley, walked, the Bruins started
their stolen base onslaught with a successful double-steal. In an
unusual double-play, Julie Adams grounded to third, Freed scored
from third base, and Watley overslid third and was thrown out by
the Canisius first baseman.
The Griffins, first-pitch swinging for much of the game, never
did get the timing of Freed’s off-speed and changeup. Four of
her six strikeouts came on changeups.
“Amanda Freed settled down nicely and took control of the
game,” UCLA head coach Sue Enquist said.
Freed then shut down the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference
champion Golden Griffins the rest of the way, allowing only one
more hit, and no runners past first base. She finished with six
strikeouts and no walks in her five innings of work.
The Bruins continued to score in the bottom of the second as
Klein led off with a walk and a steal of second. The throw to third
dribbled into left field and Klein came home for the second run of
the game.
“You take what the defense gives you. Their corners played
in, so they created a pretty big slot for the runners going from
second to third. That opened up a couple double steals right
there,” Enquist said.
In the fourth the Bruins effectively put the game out of reach
on what should have been a simple sacrifice fly. Marshall led off
the inning with a single up the middle, and Klein immediately
followed with a single to short. Under normal circumstances
Klein’s grounder would have been fielded by the shortstop,
but Canisius’ Lynn Stoczynski had already broke toward
second, anticipating the steal from pinch runner Erin Rahn.
“Obviously the speed hurt us. We did not handle that too
well,” said Canisius head coach Mike Rappl. “To be
honest, we do not see athletes like that in our league.”
Courtney Dale walked, and Monique Mejia came in to pinch run for
Dale. The move paid off, as Tairia Mims hit a routine sacrifice fly
to right, but it was dropped by Nicole Guadagna, and Mejia came
around all the way from first, clearing the bases.
“We couldn’t get anything going after that,”
Rappl said. “(The dropped fly ball) kind of took the wind out
of us.”
With a 5-0 lead in the fifth, the Bruins went to work attacking
the mercy rule, with Watley leading off the inning on a walk.
Canisius starting pitcher Veronica Maher (22-11), under the
weather and not at the top of her game, was pulled at the start of
the inning, giving way to Genevieve Garcia. Watley stole second and
third, breaking the NCAA single game tournament record of three
steals (tied earlier by Klein). Watley also tied Christie
Ambrosi’s career record of 31 stolen bases.
“Historically, UCLA hasn’t been a fast team, but now
everybody is a threat on the basepath,” Watley said.
Adams then walked, Marshall struck out, and Klein doubled home
Watley and pinch runner Casey Hiraiwa. Klein came home two batters
later on a passed ball, putting the mercy rule into effect and
ending the game.