Questions of UCLA softball’s season potential still loom overhead as the Bruins prepare for the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament this weekend.
It was yet another game of ups and downs for No. 13 UCLA (9-7) in its home opener against No. 2 Michigan (13-2) Wednesday. Although the Bruins fought hard to hold down the Wolverines after giving up four runs in the top of the first inning, they could not overcome Michigan’s offensive prowess, falling 8-6 at Easton Stadium.
“Obviously we wanted the win Wednesday, but that’s just going to put fire under us,” said senior third baseman Mysha Sataraka. “We’re going to come out strong.”
This weekend marks the Bruins’ first home tournament of the season. UCLA will face No. 12 Florida State (13-3), as well as UC Santa Barbara (8-7), Charleston Southern (8-5), Syracuse (6-7) and UC Davis (8-8) over the course of the next three days.
The Bruins’ main issue thus far in the preseason has been inconsistency across the board.
After several outstanding starts to kick off the preseason, sophomore pitcher Selina Ta’amilo has not had a win in six games. She was pulled from Wednesday’s game after two baserunners scored in the first inning on three hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. Her replacement on the mound, sophomore Johanna Grauer, finished the game while giving up five walks and two home runs.
The Bruins struggled at the plate against Michigan as well, accumulating only four hits on the night. Both sophomore second baseman Kylee Perez and sophomore catcher Madeline Jelenicki, who have been two of UCLA’s best offensive assets, went 0-3.
“We chased some balls in the dirt, we chased some balls at our heads,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “We put ourselves, unfortunately, in the position not to be able to come through.”
UCLA managed to plug in the gaps on defense against Michigan, playing errorless ball through seven innings. Although UCLA’s offense was stagnant against Michigan pitchers Sara Driesenga and Megan Betsa, the Bruins’ bats came alive last weekend as they amassed 33 runs over five games.
Sataraka, who hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first against Michigan, and senior center fielder Allexis Bennett, who went 2-3, accounted for three of the Bruins’ four hits against the Wolverines.
UCLA now must regain its balanced offense if it hopes to succeed in the upcoming tournament, which will include a battle on Friday against a tough Florida State squad currently riding a streak of five consecutive shutouts of their opponents, and which has only allowed one run in its last seven games .
“We can be very dangerous,” Inouye-Perez said. “When we settle in and we’re not pressing as much, then you’re gonna see a little different offense.”
On the rubber, the Bruins are hopeful that Ta’amilo will return to the mound fresh and well-rested this weekend after only facing six batters in her last start. Grauer showed signs of promise on Wednesday, shutting down a strong Michigan offense for four innings, despite UCLA’s eventual loss.
“The girls will take care of themselves, they’re just battling right now,” said junior shortstop Delaney Spaulding. “It’s just the two of them.”
Facing only one nationally ranked team this weekend may not be the biggest challenge that UCLA has faced thus far, but the Bruins feel this tournament could give them the momentum they’ve been searching for as they reach the tail end of the preseason.
“We need something in our season to break through the little funk that we’re going through,” Spaulding said. “I think this weekend it could happen.”
Email Sanders at dsanders@media.ucla.edu or tweet him @DESanders24.