No. 5 Bruins thrash No. 4 Gators in WCWS opener

By Adam Silverstein
June 3, 2010

No. 4 Florida Gators softball (48-9) shouldered a tough loss Thursday, dropping the opening game of the 2010 Women’s College World Series 16-3 in six innings to the No. 5 UCLA Bruins (46-11). The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK, and the game’s umpires did not do Florida any favors, calling their pitchers for almost half-a-dozen illegal pitches over the course of the game.

Megan Langenfeld (12-1), pitching 4.2 innings in relief, took home the victory for UCLA after starter Aleah Macon gave up three earned runs in the first 1.1 innings. Gators junior starter Stephanie Brombacher (34-7) was pulled after surrendering five earned runs in 2.1 innings, including a three-run first-inning homer to Bruins outfielder Andrea Harrison. Freshman Ensley Gammel replaced Brombacher but was just as ineffective, allowing six earned runs off of five hits and five walks in 2.2 innings.

UCLA’s 16 runs set a WCWS record for most in a game, and the total of 19 between the two teams also set a WCWS mark for most combined runs in a game.

Leading the way for Florida offensively was junior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (2-3), who drove in all of the team’s runs on a double in the third inning.

Though the Gators lost, the WCWS is a double-elimination tournament and the team has an opportunity to redeem itself Saturday at noon against Missouri. The game will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Should Florida win, they will follow up the contest with a game Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

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