Undefeated Bruins continue winning ways with sweep

Published: Tuesday, March 2, 1999

Tuesday, March 2, 1999

SOFTBALL: Nuveman shatters career home run record while

No. 3 Bruins improve to 18-0

By Scott Street

Daily Bruin Contributor

The way home run records are falling these days, one might wonder if Babe Ruth will soon be long forgotten.

UCLA sophomore catcher Stacey Nuveman broke the school's career home run record of 32 this weekend, leading the unbeaten Bruins (18-0) to a four game sweep of Sacramento State and No. 13 Long Beach State.

Courtney Dale and Amanda Freed pitched consecutive complete games Saturday as the No. 3 Bruins beat the Sac. State Hornets 8-2 and 9-1.

Nuveman broke open the first game in the third inning with her 10th homer of the year, an opposite field blast on which Erin Rahn scored from third, extending the Bruins' 1-0 lead. That proved to be all Dale needed, as the Hornets could piece together only eight hits against the right-hander.

Of Sacramento State's 12 hits on the afternoon, four were collected by first basemen Sarah Cunningham, who had a double and an RBI.

Christie Ambrosi led UCLA in the second game, going 3-3 with a home run and two RBIs, extending her hitting streak to 16 games.

Freed gave up just one run and four hits en route to her eighth victory of the season. Dale was masterful on Sunday, allowing only a fourth-inning single to 49er Jessica Smith, while Nuveman established the new UCLA career home run record with her 11th and 12th of the season, giving her a total of 32.

Nuveman is on pace to shatter her own single season home run record, set last year with 20.

Freed followed Dale's 6-1 victory by notching her ninth win of the season, shutting out the 49ers, 7-0.

UCLA first basemen Julie Marshall hit her sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth inning as UCLA broke open a 1-0 game. The doubleheader at Cal State Long Beach's 49er Softball Complex drew 750 fans, the largest crowd in the complex's four-year history.NICOLE MILLER

Lupe Brambila takes a swing as the Bruins sweep Sacramento State and Long Beach State.

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