Bruins blast five homers to hand UA first run-rule loss at home since 2015

There’s an old adage that solo home runs don’t beat you.

But if there are enough of them, they can.

The No. 8-ranked Arizona softball team found that out Thursday night in an 8-0 run-rule loss to No. 2 UCLA.

With an 0-2 count, two outs and the bases empty in the first inning, Arizona pitcher Alyssa Denham would normally have every right to be aggressive. But she forgot who she was facing. First-Team All-American Rachel Garcia reminded her.

Denham’s elevated pitch, hanging off the edge of the plate, was pummeled to the bleachers in left, and it was only the beginning.

The next batter, Delanie Wisz rocketed a line drive over the fence in left. Then, Maya Brady hit the first of her two solo shots off the batter’s eye in center.

UCLA would end Denham’s night early in the second inning, when Aaliyah Jordan crushed a 3-2 pitch to give the Bruins a 4-0 lead off the four solo homers. Denham had only allowed five home runs in 120 innings pitched coming into the game.

“You face a good team like this and elevate the ball, it’s hard to keep the ball in the ballpark,” UA coach Mike Candrea said. “They’re a good hitting team, don’t get me wrong, but we just did not pitch well enough to beat a good hitting team tonight.”

Arizona’s offense didn’t provide much support.

Garcia gave up just two infield singles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch with two strikeouts over five scoreless innings. It was the first time Arizona had been run-ruled at home since 2015 and snapped a 30-game home win streak, including a 24-0 mark this season coming into Thursday' game.

Overall, the Wildcats had gone since April 8, 2018 without a run-rule loss.

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“(Garcia) can throw everything,” Arizona's Janelle Meono said. “But we can hit it. Just wait.”

While Candrea said he “didn’t mind” the Wildcats’ at-bats, the senior class went a noteworthy 1 for 9 against Garcia with Dejah Mulipola recording the only hit from the bunch.

Garcia fired a big third strike past Jessie Harper with a runner on first in the first inning, but mostly relied on her defense. With no outs and one on, UCLA’s Kelli Godin caught a deep flyball along the left-field line and threw out a tagging Bella Dayton at second. The play seemed to crush all doubt at extending the game.

“The balls we squared up were right at people, and we just couldn’t make things happen,” Candrea said.

Arizona had a few defensive highlights as well, none bigger than left fielder Meono robbing a home run that would have made it 8-0 in the third. Still, as she got a hug from teammate Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, Meono had a hard time mustering a smile.

“It was a cool moment but you can’t really celebrate when you’re losing like that,” Meono said.

The Wildcats return to the field for a doubleheader Friday, starting at 4:30 p.m. The first game will be counted in the Pac-12 standings, while the second won't.

“This team will come back,” Candrea said. “But we need to be able to compete in the circle to give us a chance. When you’re playing a team like this, every at-bat is going to be grinding, and you just have to find a way to put some zeros on the board.”

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