This past weekend, third-seeded UCLA softball demonstrated how defense certainly does win championships.
Not a single run was scored against the Bruins in the NCAA softball regionals. UCLA threw three straight shutout games and was named Los Angeles regional champions.
UCLA beat Southern Utah 8-0 (6 innings) Friday, won 7-0 against Notre Dame Saturday and closed with a 1-0 win against Notre Dame Sunday.
In spite of the shutouts, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said, “(The Bruins) have a lot of respect for their opponent.”
These victories, after all, were no walk in the park. In fact, Notre Dame – the opponent UCLA had to face twice – entered Saturday’s game as one of the most productive offenses in the country.
“I’m very proud of this team. They stepped up on some big moments on defense … and bottom line, they stick together as one,” Inouye-Perez said.
Two of those “big moments” took place in the bottom of the third and seventh innings of the NCAA regionals championship game.
In the bottom of the third, there were two game-changing plays.
With no score on the board, two Fighting Irish runners in scoring position and one out, the Bruins had no room for error. Freshman shortstop Delaney Spaulding cleanly played a grounder, then threw home to junior catcher Stephany LaRosa just in time to make the out.
“It wasn’t just preparing for that hitter specifically, but knowing there was a runner on third base and being prepared for that one shot,’” said LaRosa.
One walk later, bases were loaded with two outs. Sophomore third baseman Mysha Sataraka demonstrated her quick reflexes by snagging a line drive at third, preventing a Fighting Irish run.
Senior pitcher Jessica Hall, who hit a grand slam on Saturday, knocked in the run that would win the championship game on Sunday. Hall said the Bruins were successful, because they treated each inning like a separate competition from the whole.
“We just really focused on winning each inning and when we did that we would always have the upper hand, have the momentum,” said Hall.
The bottom of the seventh of the championship game certainly felt like a battle of its own: With a one-run lead over Notre Dame, two outs and two Fighting Irish runners in scoring position, the pressure was on.
Junior pitcher Ally Carda, who started in the circle all three games, was playing first base and sophomore pitcher Paige McDuffee was in the circle. When the Fighting Irish entered scoring position, the 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Carda, said she trusted her teammates to come out of the situation victorious.
“We’ve had times like this in the beginning of the year that have prepared us for this moment,” said Carda. “(For this reason) I think we all have an unreal confidence for each other.”
When the count hit 2-2, everyone in the stadium seemed to lean forward in a simultaneous motion: the Bruins leaned toward the batter, the batter leaned over the plate, the Fighting Irish runners leaned toward the next bag and the fans leaned forward in their seats.
Then, after what felt like the longest collective holding of breaths, McDuffee delivered her pitch.
A grounder was slapped to second and junior infielder Gracie Goulder fielded the ball and flipped it to Carda at first to send UCLA to the super regionals.
“We’ve never been to ‘Supers’ before and it’s definitely a big accomplishment for this team,” LaRosa said. “But on the other side, we’re trying not to think too much of it, so we can take one game at a time.”
UCLA will play Kentucky three separate times in the Super Regionals this weekend: 5 p.m. Saturday, then back-to-back at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.