If the weekend trip to Oregon was supposed to be an opportunity for a letdown, the UCLA softball team hardly noticed.
The No. 3 Bruins (32-8, 7-4 Pac-10) began a seven-game road trip with a perfect three-game sweep this weekend, defeating Oregon State (22-22, 3-9 Pac-10) 8-1 on Friday before cruising past Oregon (13-26, 2-10 Pac-10) 9-2 on Saturday and 6-0 on Sunday.
Given that the two Oregon schools round out the last two slots in the Pac-10 standings, the Bruins could well have been lulled into playing down to the level of their competition.
But what coach Kelly Inouye-Perez saw out on the field was a team focused on its own play.
“I know it sounds like a broken record at times, but it doesn’t matter who we play,” she said. “It really is about us building momentum and continuing to build on our ability to play consistent softball, and the girls did a great job of executing and playing our game.”
Coming off an impressive outing against Washington on April 11, in which she threw a no-hitter, junior pitcher Megan Langenfeld continued her stellar performance on Friday against the Beavers, giving up just two hits and one run while striking out seven in seven innings.
The offense was just as good, tallying nine hits and scoring eight runs. The output even included a milestone feat by sophomore center fielder Katie Schroeder.
By connecting for her 10th home run of the season, Schroeder became just the sixth player in UCLA history to post at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in a single season.
It was much the same story on Saturday as well, the result another sound UCLA victory, this time against the Ducks.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Whitney Baker got the start on Saturday and kept the Oregon offense in check, allowing three hits and two runs while fanning seven in 4.1 innings. Langenfeld then came out of the bullpen to pitch 2.2 hitless innings on the way to notching her third save of the season.
Junior third baseman Julie Burney led the way for the offense, going two-for-three with four RBI and a run scored.
On Sunday, UCLA wrapped up its trip with another win against Oregon.
In the circle, Langenfeld and sophomore pitcher Donna Kerr teamed up to shut out the Ducks, allowing just one hit and striking out eight.
At the plate, the offensive surge continued. The Bruins hit three home runs in the game, bringing the total to eight over the three-game span.
With only 10 more games to go on the season, the offense has come through as of late, which can only bode well for the team as it approaches the home stretch.
“It’s all coming together,” Burney said. “We’re a lot more confident at the plate, and we’re waiting for our pitch. Everyone is having quality at-bats, and it’s really paying off.”