NCAA SOFTBALL : Gutierrez’s Home Run Powers UCLA Into the Final Four, 4-0

Yvonne Gutierrez’s three-run home run lifted UCLA past Fresno State, 4-0, on Sunday, making the Bruins one of the final four teams in the NCAA Division I women’s softball tournament at Oklahoma City.

Gutierrez’s ninth home run of the season, during the first inning, set a school single-season record.

Bruin pitcher Lisa Fernandez, who gave up two hits in seven innings, has shut out three of the Bruins’ opponents at the tournament. She also shut out Utah on May 15 in a regional at UCLA.

The Bruins scored again in the fifth inning when Fernandez, who was two for three, singled in Kristy Howard.

The top-seeded Bruins faced eighth-seeded Massachusetts and third-seeded Fresno State faced second-seeded Arizona on Sunday night.

Massachusetts 2, Cal State Long Beach 1--Long Beach was eliminated when Massachusetts’ Stacey Nichols scored on a double to right field by Angyla Brumm during the 10th inning.

The 49er’s other loss in the double-elimination tournament was to Fresno State, 4-0, on Saturday.

Amy Geldbach of Long Beach was four for five, the first to get four hits in a national tournament game since 1990.

Long Beach (40-32) tied the score during the third inning when pinch-runner Shanel Hill scored on a single by Sandra Ross. Hill was pinch running for Linda Lunceford, who led off the inning with a single.