It Takes Time, but Bruins Win, 3-1, to Reach Final

It took 12 innings and nearly four hours, but defending champion UCLA advanced to its fifth NCAA Division I softball championship appearance in six years with a 3-1 victory over Stanford on Sunday at Oklahoma City.

Caitlin Benyi, who opened the game with a home run, scored on Lisa Dodd’s double in the top of the 12th. Dodd scored on a double by Stephanie Ramos.

UCLA (46-9) will play California (53-12) in a rematch of last year’s championship game. The Bruins won, 1-0, on a no-hitter by Keira Goerl.

UCLA is in the title game for the 17th time in 23 years.

Goerl (30-7) went the distance against Stanford (49-19), throwing 167 pitches. She yielded 11 hits, including Jessica Allister’s first-inning single that drove in Catalina Morris to tie the score, 1-1.

California advanced with 4-1 victory over Louisiana State, eliminating the Tigers (57-12). Chelsea Spencer hit a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning, and Alex Sutton followed with a two-run single.

LSU had beaten the Golden Bears, 4-1, forcing the second game.

Stanford earlier eliminated Oklahoma, 3-2, in a game that was suspended after five innings Saturday night with the Sooners ahead, 2-1.