Another away series and another sweep for the Bruins.
No. 2 UCLA softball (40-2, 14-1 Pac-12) traveled to Corvallis, Oregon, this weekend to face Oregon State (21-18, 3-13). The Bruins first beat the Beavers by 8-1 on Thursday before a 10-2 victory Saturday morning following rain delay Friday – the Bruins’ 15th run-rule win of 2019 – and Saturday afternoon’s 7-0 shutout.
Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said she was initially worried about the series in light of last weekend’s loss to unranked Oregon and UCLA’s two away losses to Oregon State in 2017.
“I’ll be honest, historically we’ve been outplayed here,” Inouye-Perez said. “This is not the easiest place to play because it’s on the road and the weather here can become a factor, but we (also) have a big crowd of parents that follows us and supports us.”
UCLA overcame a one-run deficit Thursday with redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia in the circle, who earned her 18th win with three hits and six strikeouts. Junior center fielder Bubba Nickles finished 3-for-3 with two walks and a two-run blast to dead center in the seventh for her 12th home run of 2019.
Nickles said that although the series included more long ball hitting than playing the short game, Oregon State nonetheless posed strong mental and physical challenges to UCLA’s away plans.
“With games like this weekend, we were trying to focus on our swings and the process, and so we weren’t trying to do too much,” Nickles said. “We were sticking to our plan, picking a pitch to hit, and so I think this (series) was a good representation of how we can do both (styles).”
Saturday morning’s win saw freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo strike out eight batters, allowing five hits and one walk in 100 pitches.
Senior catcher Taylor Pack cleared the bases in the first inning with a double to right field, with redshirt sophomore utility Aaliyah Jordan driving in Pack the next at-bat with another double.
Freshman catcher Colleen Sullivan then drove in Jordan with a two-run home run to left field. UCLA finished the opening inning with seven runs – its highest run total at the start of a game since its 16-run display against UC Riverside on Feb. 17.
Sullivan said she had worked with Inouye-Perez throughout the week on going back to the basics and staying grounded in the batter’s box when facing opposing pitchers.
“I was losing a lot of power in my legs,” Sullivan said. “We put a tee on the base, played soft toss on the main and just focused on putting me back on my back-side because I have so much power to utilize.”
Sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo – who remains undefeated in 2019, alongside Garcia – won her ninth game Saturday afternoon, striking out three batters on four hits.
Freshman left fielder Kelli Godin opened the scoring with a one-run single in the second, with Nickles also hitting a three-run home run to left-center in the sixth.
Inouye-Perez said Godin’s small ball helped UCLA become a more cohesive unit this series and that next weekend’s return to Easton Stadium against Utah (15-28, 4-11) will be a test to its conference mentality.
“You ask the team, and they will say that their toughest opponent is themselves. We have a high standard and I love that,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s also alumni weekend, so being able to play well for the alumni is huge.”
The Bruins will look to continue their five-game winning streak Friday when they kick off a three-game series against the Utes at home.