UCLA softball secures midweek win against UCSB

On a gloomy and depressing afternoon at Easton Stadium, the Bruins had nothing but smiles on their faces.

With the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (26-20) in town Wednesday, No. 16 UCLA softball (31-15, 7-11 Pac-12) played its first nonconference midweek game since March 12.

Despite the long layoff between midweek matchups, the Bruins easily took care of their nonconference opponent in an 8-3 win.

The game was really only in question when the Gauchos hit a three-run homer in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3.

UCLA’s win brought the team’s record in midweek games to 2-5 on the season.

“This team did a great job of just continuing to compete throughout the entire game – scoring early, bouncing back from a punch (USCB) threw and then even scoring a little bit later is a sign of great things,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.

While her presence was not needed in the circle, sophomore pitcher Ally Carda made herself heard with the bat.

She had three hits, including a two-run homer in the fourth to break the tie and give the Bruins a 5-3 lead.

Carda added a single later that scored two more runs in the fifth.

“I’m trying to get a lot of extra work in at practice and just continue what I’ve been doing,” Carda said. “I’m not overthinking it and just getting a good pitch to hit.”

Senior outfielder B.B. Bates and freshman outfielder Allexis Bennett also helped pace the offense with two hits apiece as the Bruins totaled 10 on the day. UCLA improved to 15-0 on the season in games in which it records 10 or more hits.

Freshman pitcher Paige McDuffee started the game and pitched well aside from giving up the three-run homer in the third inning.

She exited the game in the fifth without recording an out and leaving a runner on base, but was followed by three shutout innings of relief from junior pitcher Jessica Hall.

“(The key to my success was) just having Paige’s back. I knew the whole time that I was in relief and I was just ready to go whenever,” Hall said. “I got the cue so I just wanted to come in and shut it down.”

Hall, who earned her 40th career win against Arizona last weekend, picked up her third save of the season, while McDuffee improved to 6-2 overall with the win.

With the top team in the Pac-12 conference in the No. 4 Oregon Ducks up next on the schedule, the matchup against the Gauchos allowed the Bruins to stay sharp going into their weekend series.

“It’s always nice to be able to get another opponent out there to be able to practice competing,” Inouye-Perez said. “It was a great opportunity for us to continue to stay sharp.”