Whenever the opposition put up a run this weekend, UCLA softball was ready to answer back.
“If another team throws a punch we’re just as ready to throw a punch right back,” said junior second baseman Kylee Perez. “And we thrive off of that. When the other team is scoring it just motivates us to really get going again.”
Arizona State scored a run in five innings this weekend and UCLA answered back in the next frame after three of those innings.
On Friday, the Sun Devils scored one run in the bottom of the third and two in the bottom of the sixth. After each of those innings, the Bruins responded with a three-run shot – the first by senior shortstop Delaney Spaulding in the top of the fourth and the second by sophomore third baseman Brianna Tautalafua on the top of seventh.
Tautalafua’s blast would have activated the mercy rule had the Bruins been at home, as the UCLA took the win 13-3.
On Saturday, the Sun Devils notched a pair of homers in the bottom of the second to cut the Bruins’ lead in half, but UCLA took the momentum back with an RBI single by sophomore catcher Paige Halstead en route to UCLA’s 14-3 win.
“That literally can knock the fight out of the team when they put some runs up on the board. They throw some punches, and we punch right back,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “It’s a very, very powerful statement. And we did that all weekend.”
Although much of UCLA’s success this season has come thanks to freshman pitcher Rachel Garcia – who was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year on Monday and a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award Thursday – Inouye-Perez said this weekend wasn’t about who was pitching.
“I challenged the team and said, ‘The goal is to outscore the opponent. It’s not going to matter who’s in the circle, it’s our ability to outscore the opponent,'” Inouye-Perez said. “Because I know this Arizona State team is offensive.”
The Bruins outscored the Sun Devils with 29 runs, while the opponent was only able to squeeze out 9 runs throughout the series.
This series sweep rounded out the regular season and sent the Bruins on their way to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 national seed.
Heading into postseason, the Bruins will face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks to kick off the double-elimination style Regional starting Friday night at Easton Stadium.