In the second inning UCLA’s 10-0 win over Utah on Sunday, freshman catcher Colleen Sullivan called timeout and visited sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo in the circle. This came after the Utes had runners on second and third with one out.
While those two were talking strategy, sophomore utility Kinsley Washington battled redshirt junior first baseman Rachel Garcia in a game of rock paper scissors on the field.
Garcia won – and Azevedo got out of the jam with a pop-up to third and a strikeout.
This moment in the game – as well as the dance parties that happen before, during and after every game – embodies what coach Kelly Inouye-Perez wants people to see and remember about No. 2 UCLA softball (43-2, 17-1 Pac-12): This team is able to take care of business while having fun at the same time.
“It’s UCLA softball culture, you have to enjoy the process even though it gets really hard,” Inouye-Perez said. “It tells the opponent that we’re loose and ready to play, but the most important part is that we’re having fun playing something we’re pretty good at.”
During warmups for Sunday’s game, some Bruins came up with a dance routine to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars and the ’70s song “(Not Just) Knee Deep” by Funkadelic.
Azevedo was not present for the dance party since she was the starter in the circle and warming up in the bullpen. But when asked who the best dancer on the team is, she was quick to answer.
“Me – I’m the best,” Azevedo said. “Just kidding, I’d say (Washington) and (freshman utility Anna Vines).”
Two weeks ago, when UCLA hosted Oregon, UCLA gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the Bruins’ 8-1 win in the series finale.
Because Kondos Field and a group of UCLA gymnasts – including senior Katelyn Ohashi and junior Kyla Ross – were present at the game, part the Bruins’ warmup was an improvised reenactment of an uneven bars rotation. Two softball bats served as the uneven bars and after every turn Kondos Field’s audience, UCLA gymnasts and some fans sitting along the third base line awarded the softball players with perfect 10s across the board.
Sophomore infielder Malia Quarles said the team draws inspiration from the gymnastics team.
“We’re super close with gymnastics,” Quarles said. “They have great energy all the time and they always support us and it means a lot. We’re all striving for the same thing, we all want that (national championship).”
Both softball and gymnastics won national championships in 2003, 2004 and 2010. Gymnastics has reached the NCAA championship final the last two seasons and softball has made four straight Women’s College World Series appearances.
Inouye-Perez calls the culture of all UCLA sports “the Bruin bubble,” and she said part of what makes the Bruins so special is the sisterhood between herself and Kondos Field, as well as the athletes.
“That’s a huge part of our sisterhood is that we’re in the same seasons, we’ve won championships in the same year and our suites are intentionally next to each other in the athletic department,” Inouye-Perez said. “We know that (Kondos Field) is a Bruin for life and she’ll probably be on Broadway someplace, but the goal is to hire her as my volunteer coach next year.”