UCLA Wins, Reaches Semifinals

UCLA advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Softball World Series Saturday with a 7-3 victory over Michigan.

Melissa Gentile’s home run--her second of the series and sixth of the season--put the Wolverines in front, 1-0, in the second inning. Gentile walked with the bases loaded in the fifth and Kellyn Tate’s single in the seventh accounted for the other Michigan (56-16-1) runs.

Trailing 1-0, the Bruins got two runs in the fourth inning to go ahead for good. UCLA added three more runs in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Freshman Christa Williams came on in the fourth inning to record her second victory of the series. She allowed four hits and two runs.

UCLA will play Washington today after the first semifinal between defending champion Arizona and Fresno State, which defeated Iowa, 7-6.

Fresno State trailed, 6-4, before Robyn Yorke’s hit to left field brought home Trina Puckett in the seventh inning. Two other Fresno State runners scored earlier in the inning.

Kim Peck (11-1) picked up the victory for Fresno State, hurling 2 1/3 innings in relief.

Fresno State had beaten Massachusetts, 2-1, in an earlier game.

In another early elimination game, Cathy Davie drove in the game’s only run with a sixth-inning single as Michigan beat South Carolina, 1-0.