After completing a three-game sweep of Stanford on Monday, No. 13 UCLA softball (26-11-1, 7-3-1 Pac-12) got off to a slow start against Cal State Northridge (23-17, 3-3 Big West) Wednesday evening. The Bruins only recorded one hit and scored a single run through the first five innings of the mid-week matchup.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, though, senior third baseman Mysha Sataraka and sophomore catcher Madeline Jelenicki came up with two clutch back-to-back doubles to break the tight game open. The hits continued as UCLA proceeded to score four additional runs in the inning, stifling what had been a strongly defensive CSUN team in a 6-0 victory.
“I told them before the game I expect them to get better throughout the ballgame,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “They started figuring out what the pitcher was throwing.”
The Bruins’ production came from across the lineup, as freshmen right fielder Paige Halstead and second baseman Zoe Shaw, who got her first at-bat of the day during the rally as a pinch hitter, recorded another set of doubles later in the sixth. Center fielder Allexis Bennett also slapped an RBI single to cap off the win.
Bennett, recently named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, attributed UCLA’s recent success to the team’s work ethic.
“Yesterday we were supposed to have an off day and the whole team met up in the weight room for a lift,” Bennett said. “There are no off days when it comes to the season.”
The senior was a stalwart in the field against CSUN as well. She made a tremendous jumping catch into the center field wall in the top of the fifth inning that helped shut down the Matadors’ offense.
“The defense has been making amazing plays,” said sophomore pitcher Johanna Grauer. “It definitely helps me keep my confidence up, knowing it’s OK if they put it in play … the defense will back it up.”
Grauer pitched her second complete-game shutout in a row on Wednesday, striking out seven and allowing only four hits. She stranded five CSUN baserunners through seven innings of errorless ball.
It has been quite a turnaround for Grauer, who gave up seven runs in a combined three innings against Cal State Fullerton (34-22, 12-9 Big West) and No. 6 Oregon (32-6-0, 10-2-0 Pac 12) just two weeks ago.
“She’s working very well with (Jelenicki) on being able to have correct pitch selections and put herself in a position to be more successful,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re always focusing on working ahead in the count.”
With her change-ups and off-speed pitches hitting their correct spots, Grauer is steadily building momentum, along with the rest of the UCLA squad, as the team pushes through the regular season. The Bruins’ current five-game win streak is tied for their second-longest of the season.
This weekend, they will finish their seven-game home stand with a series against Oregon State (25-12-1, 4-8-0 Pac 12).
Email Sanders at dsanders@media.ucla.edu.