Two UCLA softball players were named first-team All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday.
The Bruin battery, composed of junior pitcher Ally Carda and catcher Stephany LaRosa, was selected to a first team squad that consists of only 18 players from across the country.
Carda is a first-time selection, while LaRosa was named a first-team All-American during her freshman year in 2012.
This duo of Carda and LaRosa worked together all year to make the Bruins better on both offense and defense. LaRosa, who was playing catcher for this first time this season, called a majority of the pitches that Carda threw this season, and Carda was one of the three finalists for the USA Softball National Player of the Year Award.
Although the two players worked together on defense for a majority of the season, their offensive seasons took slightly different paths.
While Carda’s batting average hovered somewhere between .380 and .400 for the entire season, LaRosa had a slow start to the year, batting only .267 in her first 16 games.
After 16 games, an injury forced LaRosa out of the lineup for a few games. When she came back, she was a different hitter. LaRosa finished the year third on the team with a .367 batting average, and set a UCLA school record by reaching base safely in 40 consecutive games.
By the end of their season last weekend, Carda was sixth in the NCAA in pitching victories, and LaRosa was fourth in the NCAA in walks per game.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports contributor.