UCLA SCORES EARLY, REACHES CHAMPIONSHIP SELDEN STOPS TEXAS IN SEMIS UCLA 3, TEXAS 0.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

It's never a surprise when UCLA's softball team - the most successful in NCAA history, with 11 titles - reaches the NCAA championship game.

But if ever there were a season the Bruins appeared not to have enough to capture the crown, this was it.

The Bruins have had to stave off elimination five times this postseason, and only one other Women's College World Series team - DePaul - had as many losses,

On Sunday night, UCLA (39-18) took advantage of Texas coach Connie Clark's decision to start freshman pitcher Meagan Denny - rather than National Player of the Year Cat Osterman - scoring three runs in the first inning of a 3-0 victory in Oklahoma City.

UCLA, the two-time defending champion, advances to the best-of-3 title series, which begins at 4:30 p.m. today, against Michigan (62-6) or Tennessee (67-14).

Tonya Callahan homered in the bottom of the 11th inning early this morning to give the Volunteers a 2-0 victory in a semifinal elimination game, forcing another showdown with Michigan today at 10 a.m.

``We were shocked they went with Denny,'' UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. ``My main concern was we didn't become emotionally sloppy and swing from our behinds. But we didn't. We stayed very poised, and I was just proud of how we capitalized on it.''

Texas replaced Denny with Osterman after Krista Colburn drove in Jodie Legaspi with the third run. Osterman, who won a gold medal with the U.S. national team at last summer's Athens Olympics, pitched 5 1/3 innings of no-hit ball, but the damage already had been done.

Legaspi, who brought home the winning run in UCLA's 3-1 victory Friday over Tennessee, singled home the first run, and the Bruins made it 2-0 on an error by Texas shortstop Desiree Williams.

Bruins freshman Anjelica Selden kept the Longhorns (49-13) in check, striking out 12, walking none and allowing just two hits in seven innings.

``I'm still shocked, because this is my first year,'' Selden said. ``It's overwhelming to me, because I came in willing to learn and not really expecting a whole lot from myself.

``We've been through so much struggle, and we didn't have the best season. But our team really deserves to be here, considering how much we've been through.''

Texas got both its hits in the first inning, when it advanced runners to second and third, and it again put runners at second in the third in the sixth. Selden struck out two to end the threat. Texas earlier eliminated Arizona 1-0 in 11 innings. Mickayla Padilla scored on an errant throw, and Osterman pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 11th.

Associated Press contributed.

Ramona Shelburne, [phone]

ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Emily Zaplatosch, right, is congratulated by Jen Schroeder, center, and Jaisa Creps after scoring against Texas.

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press