With the UCLA softball team getting no-hit in its season-opener, Ashley Herrera was determined to make an impact.
The senior infielder/left fielder laid down a bunt and sprinted to first base in a furious attempt to get the Bruins’ first hit in the sixth inning against Texas on Friday. She beat out the bunt, but the result of the play turned out to be much more damaging than it was beneficial.
Herrera’s leg got tangled with the Texas second baseman who was covering first base on the bunt. She had to be removed from the game and was unavailable for any of the Bruins’ other games in Arizona last weekend.
An MRI revealed on Monday that she tore her ACL and will be out for the season.
“It was frustrating,” Herrera said about learning of the MRI results. “It’s just a lot of hard work and a long build-up, especially going into a big game against Texas. That was going to be the rally starter. In a matter of three seconds, it was just a different situation.”
Herrera knew instantly she had been hurt very badly after the collision. But the result of the MRI came as a shock to her. She has started 141 games for the Bruins in her career and was set to play another major role on an experienced team.
One silver lining that could arise from all of this for Herrera is she will now likely have the time to complete her double major in history and political science. Whereas Herrera, a top student, was going to graduate this season, she will now apply for a medical redshirt in hopes of competing next season.
For the remainder of this season though, there isn’t much Herrera can do to make an impact on the field for the team. The Bruins will undoubtedly miss her speed as a slap hitter from the left side and versatility as a defender.
“It’s a very big loss,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She’s a very valuable, versatile athlete for us and her going down hit us pretty big, but because we have such great athletic talent we’ve been able to recover.
“That’s kind of been the mantra of this program. We recruit good athletes and therefore we’re able to replace.”
In this case, the replacement is freshman Julie Burney. Burney was set to start at third base when freshman first baseman/pitcher Megan Langenfeld was pitching and Herrera had to slide over to first base. But now, Burney will be an everyday player for the Bruins.
“It’s exciting,” Burney said of her new role. “It’s a little stressful, but I’ve been getting used to it and getting into the groove.”
Burney has already shown signs of her offensive potential in her first five starts of the year. In her first start against Syracuse last Friday at the Kajikawa Classic in Arizona, she doubled, scored two runs, and walked twice. Against Nevada on Sunday, the final day of the Kajikawa Classic, Burney hit her first career home run as a Bruin.
“(Burney) knows how to play third,” Inouye-Perez said. “She’s got a strong arm, she’s constantly working to get better, and she swings a big stick. She falls right into place.”