The Bruins kept momentum going from a weekend that saw them score 48 runs, as they were able to get four across in the bottom of the fourth as the starters made their way through the lineup.
However, for coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, the biggest takeaway from Tuesday’s game was not the box score.
Instead, the game provided an opportunity for the team to get experience playing in the middle of the week, which it will do again next Tuesday, against Cal State Fullerton.
“Midweeks are very challenging. … It was good for us to walk away with some at-bats, some little things we made some great plays (on). Today was a productive day,” Inouye-Perez said.
The matchup against the team from Japan also provided UCLA the chance to take a break from the grind of practice, allowing the Bruins to work on parts of their game in a game-day environment without worrying about final score.
“They provided a great learning opportunity for us. … Any time you bring in an opponent, it changes the entire atmosphere from just practice. That was the focus,” Inouye-Perez said.
For sophomore pitcher Ally Carda, who picked up where she left off this weekend in tossing two innings of no-hit shutout softball, the exhibition provided an opportunity to put into practice what she learned over the weekend while also preparing the team for future opponents.
“I think we learned a lot over the weekend, so we can take what we learned and implement it during the week to prepare us for the next big weekend tournament,” Carda said.
The game also allowed Inouye-Perez to spread playing time throughout the line-up, as the Bruins brought 12 different batters to the plate and 13 players to the field on Tuesday.
While the game may not count in the standings or in the box score, it provided another opportunity for UCLA to learn what type of team it is going to be and gave the Bruins an opportunity to keep the momentum they created early on in the season.
Sophomore shortstop Stephany LaRosa said she believes that is helping them grow together as a team.
“It was cool, it was game, like, it was different. They’re just kind of another opponent, that’s how we took it. Not trying to make it bigger than it was, and we came out and we played our game,” LaRosa said.
“We’re in a good place right now and we’re coming together as a team.”
Email Lee at jlee2@media.ucla.edu.