Virginia Falls To UCLA 3-0 In Championship Bracket Of National Invitational Softball Tournament
Story Links
March 10, 2002
PLEASANTON, Calif. – The Virginia softball team lost to top-ranked UCLA for the second time Saturday (March 9) in Championship Bracket play of the National Invitational Softball Tournament. UVa lost the second contest to the Bruins Saturday evening (March 9) 3-0 after dropping a 2-0 decision to the number one team in the nation earlier in the day. With the loss, Virginia was eliminated from the NIST. The Cavaliers were 2-4 in the tournament, including three losses to nationally ranked teams, and now stand at 15-7 on the season.
UCLA (28-3) scored the only run it would need in the bottom of the second inning and then added two more runs in the third. First-year pitcher Valerie Sevilla (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) took the loss in the circle as she gave up three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work. Sevilla is now 4-2 on the season. Fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) held the Bruins scoreless over the final 3.2 innings. Dennis gave up three hits and struck out five while walking one.
UCLA’s Keira Goerl earned the victory with a one-hit shutout. She struck out nine and walked one and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Goerl retired the first two Cavaliers in the seventh, but second-year catcher Stephanie Calhoun (Spring Valley, Calif./Mount Miguel) spoiled Goerl’s no-hit bid with a single.
The Cavaliers continue their California spring break trip with a doubleheader against Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif., on March 12. The first game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.