After several mistakes, miscues and missteps along the way, UCLA softball has found its stride.
The Bruins (30-15, 7-11 Pac-12) enter today’s non-conference match-up with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (26-19) as winners of four of their last six after winning back-to-back Pac-12 series, over the California Golden Bears and Arizona Wildcats respectively, for the first time all year.
Today, however, offers the Bruins a rare break from a grueling Pac-12 schedule, as conference leader and offensive powerhouse Oregon awaits with a three-game series this weekend. But the Gauchos enter today’s contest struggling to score runs, having only crossed the plate 11 times in their last 10 games.
UCLA pitchers hope to add to UCSB’s misery on offense in addition to continuing their excellent play of late. In all, Bruins pitchers have thrown 41 scoreless innings over the team’s last six games, including a complete game from junior pitcher Jessica Hall last Friday.
Hall’s performance, in which UCLA won 13-3, drew praise from coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, who said that the effort the three-year starter turned in on Friday might have been the best outing she had ever seen from the junior. Hall, who earned her 40th career victory against Arizona, routinely kept Wildcats hitters off-balanced as her full repertoire of pitches was on display in Tucson.
“My (off-speed) was definitely on, it felt good that I could go to that in any count, but also my basic curve and screw and rise,” said Hall. “I was feeling confident in all of those tonight. I’d say I had my A-game for once.”
The Bruins were able to pitch effectively due in large part to increased run support from their offense. After averaging just over three runs a game in Pac-12 play, the UCLA offense erupted for 28 runs in their three games against Arizona. The Bruins saw production from throughout their lineup, including freshman third baseman Mysha Sataraka, who reached base in all three games and homered in back-to-back games against the Wildcats.
The play from Sataraka, who missed 18 games earlier in the season because of a thumb injury she suffered against Cal State Fullerton, has been particularly encouraging for the Bruins.
UCLA went 12-6 in her absence and scored less than four runs in nine of those contests.
While the freshman from Honolulu is still not completely healed, the injury did not get in the way at the plate as she batted in six runs on four hits as part of an aggressive Bruin offensive approach.
“I’m feeling a lot better, you’re always going to feel a little coming back, but it’s nothing big, and I’m just playing with it,” said Sataraka.
“Just to go out there and attack and stop thinking so much and play with that mentality, my teammates were backing me up and I’ve felt really confident at the plate these last few games.”
The Bruins as a whole are feeling better about what they have done at the plate and on the field the last few games. After a rough start and several disappointing losses – five of their 11 conference losses have come by two runs or less – UCLA believes it may have finally turned the corner on its season.
“Absolutely, I really do (believe the team has turned the corner),” said Inouye-Perez.
“Their approach, their confidence, all of it; it is fun to watch, you can see it. Something we haven’t done is to finish strong on that last day in Pac-12 and (Saturday) was a big day to finish out a series and says a lot about where this team is going to go.”