Bruins Send Sooners Home With 2-0 Season-Ending Loss

May 25, 2002

OKLAHOMA CITY - The fifth-seeded Oklahoma Sooners' third trip to the Women's College World Series ended with a 2-0 loss to top-seeded UCLA Bruins Saturday afternoon at the A.S.A. Hall of Fame Stadium. In an elimination contest after Oklahoma lost their series opener 4-2 to fourth-seeded California on Thursday, OU mustered only one hit off of UCLA starting pitcher Keira Goerl (32-5) and squandered their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first inning by leaving the bases loaded. OU's starting pitcher Jennifer Stewart (22-8) ended a decorated four-year career after giving up both runs on seven hits through the first 5.2 frames. The 13th-ranked Sooners finish the season with a 49-16 record and a 0-2 record in their third straight trip to the WCWS.

Junior shortstop Kelli Braitsch (0-for-1), who missed the Sooners' first game of the WCWS due to a pre-game injury, returned to the starting lineup and tried to get things started early for the team in the first inning. Braitsch drew a one-out walk and promptly stole second base with freshman first baseman Christina Enea (1-for-3) stepping to the plate. Enea sent Goerl's pitch back up the middle for a single, but Braitsch was gunned down at the plate attempting to score. Junior third baseman Leah Gulla (0-for-2) and junior rightfielder Jennifer Stump (0-for-2) kept the rally alive as the Bruins' hurler issued two more walks to load the bases. Freshman catcher Heather Scaglione (0-for-3) worked Goerl for a 2-2 count before Bruins second baseman Crissy Buck (0-for-3) made a diving catch on Scaglione's shallow pop up.

After giving up the solo homer to Bruins' catcher Stacey Nuveman (1-for-2) in the top of the second inning, Stewart settled down to retire eight of the next 10 batters before running into trouble in the fifth. UCLA leftfielder Jennifer Ramos (2-for-3) led off the frame with a single and moved to third base on the Bruins' second base hit of the inning by third baseman Toria Auelua (1-for-3). With runners at the corners and one out, UCLA rightfielder Monique Mejia (1-for-3) delivered a RBI-single to plate pinchrunner Amanda Simpson with the insurance run to give the top-ranked Bruins the decisive 2-0 lead.

After a rocky first inning, Goerl shut the Sooners down through the next six innings. OU's only other scoring threat came in the fourth frame when junior centerfielder Erin Evans (0-for-1) drew a two-out walk and ended up on second base after a wild pitch before freshman designated player Jessica Leslie (0-for-2) popped out foul to third base.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Bruins Send Sooners Home With 2-0 Season-Ending Loss

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