Looking Back at the NCAA Champions: 2010 UCLA Bruins

Photo courtesy UCLA Athletics

Fall practice has wrapped up around the country in Division I, which allows us to set our sights on the 2024 season that lies ahead.

Early focus will be centered on the University of Oklahoma as they begin the quest to become the first team in Division I history to win four consecutive national championships.

The Sooners tied UCLA (1988, 1989, 1990) as the only teams to ever win three consecutive titles when they defeated Florida State to claim the 2023 title.

Extra Inning Softball will be reviewing the 41 national champions that have previously hoisted the trophy.

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2010 UCLA Bruins

The Venue: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez

The Players (Women’s College World Series Roster): GiOnna DiSalvatore, Marti Reed, Donna Kerr, Samantha Camuso, Andrea Harrison, Kaila Shull, Whitney Baker, Destiny Rodino, Julie Burney, Charlotte Dolan, Monica Harrison, B.B. Bates, Brooke Finley, Grace Murray, Amy Crawford, Aleah Macon, Katie Schroeder, Megan Langenfeld, Devon Lindvall, Dani Yudin

The Regular Season: In UCLA years six years is a long time and the Bruins entered the 2010 season having last raised the national championship in 2004. The Bruins finished the regular season with a 40-11 record and placed second in the Pac-10 Conference with a 14-7 mark. UCLA featured a potent offensive attack that averaged 6.9 runs per game and set school records for home runs (108), slugging percentage (.602), on base percentage (.432) and walks (244). The Bruins were led by two-way star Megan Langenfeld who batted an astounding .527 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs. GiOnna DiSalvatore hit .391 on the year with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs, while Andrea Harrison hit .343, belted 17 homers and drove in 55 runs. Julie Burney added 18 home runs and Samantha Camuso hit 16 long balls. Aleah Macon, Langenfeld and Donna Kerr led the Bruins in the circle as the trio combined to throw 15 shutouts during the season. Macon went 13-1 with a 1.50 earned run average, Langenfeld was 14-1 with a 1.53 ERA and Kerr finished the year 18-7 with a 2.47 earned run average. Langenfeld and DiSalvatore were each selected as All-Americans following the year and Langenfeld was also named the Pac-10 Player of the Year.

The Regional: UCLA began the postseason by hosting the NCAA Los Angeles Regional and welcomed Saint Mary’s, Fresno State and San Diego State to Westwood. The Bruins showed off their power in game one of the regional in posting an 11-4 win over Saint Mary’s. Dani Yudin hit a pair of home runs and Kaila Shull, GiOnna DiSalvatore and Samantha Camuso also homered for the Bruins, who had 13 hits as a team. Donna Kerr picked up the win in the circle for the Bruins as she struck out nine batters in the victory. UCLA faced San Diego State in its second game of the regional and got a walk-off single from Andrea Harrison to record a 4-3 victory over the Aztecs. Megan Langenfeld added a pair of home runs for the Bruins and Aleah Macon earned the victory in the circle. UCLA secured a berth in the Super Regional as it rallied from an early deficit to defeat Fresno State 7-2 in the regional final. Fresno State jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Bruins responded by scoring seven unanswered runs. Monica Harrison hit a three-run home run and Julie Burney and Camuso also homered for the Bruins. Macon picked up her second victory of the regional as she struck out 12 batters in the win.

The Super Regional: UCLA stayed at home for the Super Regional as it hosted Louisiana and the Bruins swept the Ragin’ Cajuns in a pair of dominating performances. UCLA took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one, but Louisiana responded with two runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead. The Bruins sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored seven runs to take an 8-2 lead as the inning was highlighted by a home run and a two-run double from Samantha Camuso and a two RBI double from GiOnna DiSalvatore. UCLA used the long ball to end the game as Dani Yudin homered in the fourth and DiSalvatore ended the game with a home run in the fifth for a 10-2 Bruins victory. UCLA used late offense to post a 10-1 victory in game two and punch its ticket to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the Women’s College World Series. Tied at 1-1 entering the fourth inning, UCLA took the lead for good on a two-run home run by Kaila Shull. The Bruins then exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning, keyed by a grand slam from Camuso, giving them a 10-1 victory. The win secured the Bruins 24th trip to the Women’s College World Series.

The Field at the Women’s College World Series: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Tennessee, UCLA, Washington

The Bruins at the Women’s College World Series: UCLA, the No. 5 seed, opened WCWS play against Florida and the Bruins recorded 11 hits, including three home runs, on their way to a 16-3 victory over the Gators. UCLA jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Florida tied the game by scoring three times in the bottom of the second inning. The Bruins scored three more times in the top of the third inning to take the lead for good as Megan Langenfeld hit an RBI double and Samantha Camuso added a two-run double. The Bruins upped the lead to 7-3 in the fourth inning on an RBI single from Langenfeld and then tacked on nine runs in the top of the sixth inning to blow the game open. Andrea Harrison hit two home runs and drove in six runs, while Langenfeld went 4-for-4, scored four times and drove in four runs. Langenfeld also picked up the win in relief as she pitched 4.2 scoreless innings. UCLA faced Hawaii in its second game of the WCWS and the Bruins hit three more home runs and used a solid outing from Langenfeld to post a 5-2 victory. Harrison, Camuso and Julie Burney homered for UCLA and Langenfeld went the distance and allowed six hits and struck out six batters. Two more home runs and another effort from Langenfeld propelled UCLA to the championship finals as the Bruins defeated Georgia 5-2. UCLA took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when B.B. Bates hit a two-run home run after Camuso led off the inning with a walk. In the Bruins third inning, with runners on first and second, Camuso belted a three-run home run that extended the UCLA lead to 5-0. Georgia scored twice in the top of the fourth inning but Langenfeld finished the game allowing just two hits while striking out three batters.

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