Softball advances to college world series after sweep of James Madison

The Bruins are going to the Women’s College World Series.

No. 2 seed UCLA softball (51-6, 20-4 Pac-12) defeated James Madison (51-10, 20-1 Colonial Athletic Association) on Saturday with a score of 7-2 to advance to Oklahoma City as one of the final eight teams in the postseason.

“I literally feel like we’ve played some of our best softball in these last two days,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “We set out with a goal from the very beginning of the year to be our best when our best is needed, and I told them at some point today that our best is yet to come.”

In many ways, Saturday’s game followed the same path as Friday’s 6-1 victory against the Dukes.

For the second day in a row, the Bruins forced JMU pitcher Megan Good out of the circle before the end of the fourth inning. Good, a candidate for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, gave up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings – only the second time this season that Good had given up more than three runs in an outing – the first being when she gave up six in a loss to Arizona State in March.

“We had a plan, she came in quickly and changed it, and we adjusted,” Inouye-Perez said. “That’s part of what postseason is all about, it’s what great programs do.”

The Bruins struck first, scoring four runs in the third inning for the second day in a row. The inning started with a bunt single from freshman utility Kelli Godin, who then stole second and advanced to third when the shortstop dropped the tag.

After sophomore infielder Briana Perez walked to put two runners on, redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia drove them both in on a two-run single. Senior utility Taylor Pack followed with a two-run home run to center.

“I wasn’t really looking for that coming into this game. … I was thinking about just doing whatever I could to help the team,” Pack said. “We want to be at the top at the end, and I just want to do whatever I can to help the team get there.”

UCLA added two more runs in the fourth inning with a two-run RBI single from redshirt sophomore outfielder Aaliyah Jordan, which gave the Bruins a 6-0 lead.

Freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo started in the circle for UCLA after struggling in the regional last weekend. Faraimo threw five shutout innings before putting two runners on in the sixth, who would both score after sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo replaced Faraimo and gave up back-to-back RBI singles.

Faraimo came away with the victory – her first of the postseason – after giving up two runs on four hits and striking out eight.

“It helped a lot to have my teammates, a lot of them just came up to me and just lectured me on how confident they were in me,” Faraimo said. “It also helped just hearing the crowd, hearing the Bruin bubble meant a lot of good vibes coming my way.”

After Garcia came into the game in relief to finish the sixth inning, Pack added on one more run for the Bruins with her second home run of the game to make it 7-2 in the seventh. When Garcia recorded the last three outs of the game, UCLA clinched its fifth consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series and the 29th appearance in UCLA history.

UCLA will travel to Oklahoma City for the college world series starting Thursday, and will have a chance to win the program’s 12th NCAA championship.

Women’s tennis seniors crowned doubles champions of 2019 season

It was a fairytale ending for two of UCLA’s seniors.

UCLA’s No. 3 seed senior duo of Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield defeated Michigan’s unseeded Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor 5-7, 7-6 (6), 11-9 in the finals of the NCAA doubles championship to finish their collegiate tennis careers.

“There’s so many emotions going back and forth,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “They really earned it. They’ve been great leader for the team. I’m really happy for them to go out as national champions.”

It was the second NCAA doubles championship for UCLA this season. The men’s tennis team’s senior Maxime Cressy and sophomore Keegan Smith won the men’s tournament earlier in the day.

Andrews and Broomfield were leading 5-1 in the first set but lost the next six games to drop the opening set, capped off by a double fault from Andrews. The second set was evenly contested with no pair going ahead by more than a game and featured eight straight breaks heading into the tiebreaker.

“(Andrews) and I kept saying to ourselves, ‘We’re never going to get this moment again. Let’s embrace it.'” Broomfield said.

The senior duo was down 6-5 in the tiebreaker – on the verge of bowing out – but won the next three points to force a 10-point, third-set tiebreaker for the championship.

“I was just trying to keep them calm,” Sampras Webster said. “They’re very feisty and have a lot of emotion. I just wanted them to have a clear head about what they wanted to do. They have so much experience that I really trust their instincts.”

The third-set tiebreaker was tied at 9-9 before the senior duo secured two straight points to win the title.

“Undescribable,” Andrews said. “Happiest moment of my life. We worked so hard for this and I think we deserve it.”

UCLA’s other entrant in the NCAA doubles championship – unseeded pair freshman Elysia Bolton and redshirt junior Jada Hart – were defeated in the round of 16 by Fahey and Minor 6-2, 7-6.

In the NCAA singles championship round of 16, Bolton fell to semifinalist Cameron Morra of North Carolina by a score of 6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-2. Bolton was up 5-4 in the second set, serving for a spot in the quarterfinals but was broken and eventually lost the second set tiebreaker 7-4.

Unseeded Hart was overwhelmed in the singles quarterfinals 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 by eventual finalist No. 2 seed Katarina Jokic from Georgia.

The end of NCAA play marks the end of the season for UCLA women’s tennis.

Maxime Cressy and Keegan Smith bring home NCAA doubles title for men’s tennis

The Bruins have an NCAA champion doubles team for the second consecutive year.

The No. 2 seed duo of senior Maxime Cressy and sophomore Keegan Smith was the only doubles team representing UCLA men’s tennis at the NCAA doubles championships in Orlando, Florida. Beginning play Tuesday, Cressy and Smith won five straight matches to emerge as the 2019 doubles champions – the program’s 14th doubles title.

“I’ve been dreaming (of) winning a national championship for the last three years,” Cressy said. “I’ve dreamt of this moment since becoming a Bruin. To win it with (Smith) is an amazing way to end my (UCLA) career.”

The Bruins’ victory sealed an undefeated season for Cressy and Smith in all doubles competitions.

“I’m still amazed they went undefeated the entire season and didn’t lose one set in the entire NCAA tournament,” said coach Billy Martin. “I don’t know another doubles team at UCLA that has done that in my 36 years here. They may go down in the annals of college doubles as one of the best teams of all time.”

Cressy and Smith’s win comes a year after then-senior Martin Redlicki and then-sophomore Evan Zhu emerged victorious over Ohio State’s Martin Joyce and Mikael Torpegaard 6-7, 7-6, 11-9 to be crowned the 2018 NCAA doubles champions.

Cressy and Smith did not drop a set over the entirety of the competition and were only forced into a tiebreak once. Through the Bruins’ first four rounds of play, Cressy and Smith claimed straight-set victories over opponents from Old Dominion, Belmont, San Diego and Tennessee, respectively.

“There is pressure going into the tournament, being undefeated,” Smith said. “It’s a good feeling to get the pressure off our backs and finish strong. College tennis is awesome like that – you are a band of brothers and can share memories like this forever.”

Cressy and Smith faced Alabama’s Patrick Kaukovalta and Mazen Osama in the championship match. The Crimson Tide’s duo reached the finals by knocking out Mississippi State’s Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini – who had defeated the No. 1 seed from Baylor.

The championship match began with a hold by Smith, giving the Bruins the first game of the match. It took just one break of Alabama’s serve to give the Bruins the first set, 6-3.

“We served very well today,” Cressy said. “As soon as we get a break, it’s a big mental advantage with respect to our opponents and puts a lot of pressure on them.”

A break chance was not converted in the second set until 4-4. Cressy and Smith completed the break of the Crimson Tide’s serve, pushing the set score to 5-4 and giving the Bruins the chance to serve for the championship.

Smith’s serving put the Bruins up 40-0 in the next game, and an ace from the ad-side of the court sealed the victory for the duo.

“I have no doubt in my mind that (Cressy) will be a top-20 player in the world in doubles,” Martin said. “We’ve had some great doubles players at UCLA – Mark Knowles, Julien Rojer – that have won Grand Slams, and I think (Cressy) is right there with those guys.”

Men’s Singles

No Bruin was able to advance past the second round.

Three players from UCLA men’s tennis competed in the singles competition of the NCAA championships in Orlando, Florida this week. Cressy, Smith and freshman Govind Nanda were all awarded berths to the competition.

Cressy, who was the highest-seeded Bruin, fell in his first round match to Wake Forest’s Bar Botzer 6-4, 6-2. Nanda was also unable to advance past his opening round. He was defeated by No. 8 seed Oliver Crawford of Florida 7-6, 6-3.

Smith was the only UCLA player to advance past the first round. He defeated Tulsa’s Majed Kilani 6-2, 6-2. Smith was eventually ousted by Tennessee’s Timo Stodder 7-6, 6-2.

Baseball swings past Oregon into postseason, sets new program record

The Pac-12 champions are heading into the postseason riding a 10-game winning streak.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (47-8, 24-5 Pac-12) capped off the regular season with its seventh sweep of the year, defeating Oregon (27-29, 10-19) 6-5 on Friday. The Bruins will enter the postseason having won every weekend series on the season for the first time in program history, setting a school record for most conference wins in the process.

“They gave us a good test on the road in an unfamiliar environment,” said sophomore right-hander Holden Powell. “I think we can come out pretty satisfied about how we played coming off those close games.”

The Bruins’ sweep of the Ducks extended their winning streak to 10 games – their longest of the season. UCLA is 12-1 during the month of May and ended the regular season sweeping its final three Pac-12 series.

“I liked the month of May,” said coach John Savage. “I thought it was challenging and we played a lot on the road and we responded, so I think we’re ready for the postseason.”

The Bruins took an early lead in the third, putting up six runs and earning 11 at-bats in the inning. UCLA had six hits to go with its six runs, highlighted by a two-out, three-RBI double into the left-center gap by freshman catcher Noah Cardenas.

“I think (junior outfielder Jeremy Ydens) did a great job scoring from first,” Cardenas said. “It ended up being in the difference, so that was huge.”

Oregon came back in the home half of the third, scoring twice to cut UCLA’s lead to four. The two runs allowed by redshirt junior right-hander Jack Ralston broke his 27-inning scoreless streak dating back to April 27.

“We put up a lot of runs for (Ralston) on the mound and we’ve been good at staying loose while we’re hitting,” Cardenas said. “(Ralston) loves it when we score runs, so he doesn’t have a lot of problems usually rebounding.”

However, the Ducks kept chipping at the lead, leading off the fourth with three consecutive base hits for the second straight inning. An RBI double by right fielder Jakob Goldfarb and RBI fielder’s choice by catcher Cameron Campbell cut the Bruins’ lead in half.

Ralston finished his night going six innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out 10 Ducks. The redshirt junior finished the season 11-0 with the win Friday.

In the eighth inning, junior right-hander Kyle Mora entered the game with a two-run lead in the eighth inning, but he walked three batters and only recorded one out. Savage pulled Mora with the bases load, turning to Powell for the five-out save.

Powell would walk in a run but recovered with back-to-back strikeouts to end the eighth, and three straight strikeouts in the ninth earning him his Pac-12-leading 16th save on the season.

“(Powell)’s got 16 saves for a reason,” Savage said. “He likes that big-game situation and he likes to close games out. He’s had his ups and downs, but for the most part, he’s been fantastic.”

UCLA’s regular season finale against the Ducks was canceled due to rain Saturday.

The Bruins will find out Sunday if they are one of the top eight national seeds and whether they will host a regional next weekend. UCLA’s regional opponents will be announced when the 64-team bracket and schedule is released Monday at 9 a.m.

Centennial event honors Reginaldo Francisco del Valle, one of UCLA’s founders

Students and faculty celebrated one of UCLA’s Latino founders for the first time Friday.

Attendees of “Remembering UCLA’s Latino Forefather,” gathered at Founder’s Rock to celebrate Reginaldo Francisco del Valle, a Latino state senator who introduced legislation in 1881 establishing the Branch State Normal School in Los Angeles, which later became UCLA. The event was part of UCLA’s Centennial Celebration, a yearlong program beginning May 18 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the school’s founding.

Del Valle led efforts to grant the Branch Normal School administrative autonomy, served as president pro tempore of the state senate, and was instrumental in bringing water from Northern California as LA’s city water commissioner of Los Angeles.

No buildings, dormitories or streets at UCLA are named after del Valle, unlike locations like Dickson Court, named after founder Edward Dickson, and Moore Hall, named after founder Ernest Moore.

The event, hosted by the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, began with a procession from Bruin Bear to Founder’s Rock, next to Murphy Hall, to demonstrate pride in UCLA and its diverse history. Marchers chanted del Valle’s name and waved flags of Spanish-speaking countries as they walked. The event included performances by Grupo Folklorico de UCLA, a group that celebrates Mexican heritage through traditional dance.

David Hayes-Bautista, director of CESLAC and professor of medicine at UCLA, hosted the event and said he is glad del Valle is being celebrated for the first time.

“I think (the event) is filling out a very badly missing part of UCLA,” Hayes-Bautista said.

Hayes-Bautista published a paper in 2006 about del Valle’s role in establishing UCLA to bring attention to del Valle’s role as an overlooked founder.

Crystal Soriano, a third-year sociology and Chicana and Chicano studies student, attended the event and said she first learned about del Valle through a Chicana and Chicano studies course fall quarter.

“It was weird I had never heard of him, since he basically founded UCLA,” Soriano said.

Soriano said she was surprised that this was the first UCLA event honoring del Valle.

“It should have been done a long time ago,” Soriano said.

Alma Zavala, an audience member and UCLA alumna, said the event made her feel more connected to the campus as a Mexican American.

“It makes me proud to learn some history I didn’t know,” Zavala said.

Laura Ochoa, CESLAC project coordinator, said although many are unaware of del Valle’s role in UCLA’s history, she thinks it’s not too late to raise awareness.

“A way to recognize his contributions would be to make sure future generations are aware of the real history of UCLA,” Ochoa said.

Hayes-Bautista said CESLAC will hold the event annually and is currently fundraising for a portrait or bust of del Valle that will be revealed at next year’s event.

“I’m glad to have had a piece in rescuing history from oblivion and pointing out the diverse roots of a great institution like UCLA,” Hayes-Bautista said.

Softball on brink of Women’s College World Series after beating James Madison

The Bruins need just one more win to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

No. 2 seed UCLA softball (50-6, 20-4 Pac-12) defeated James Madison (51-9, 20-1 Colonial Athletic Association) on Friday night by a score of 6-1.

The Bruins fell behind early after redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia gave up a solo home run to the second batter she faced in the game.

“They threw a punch first, and the way that our team responded is probably what makes me most proud,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “We threw a punch back, and we were ready to play, and I think that set a tone of what we’ve been all year.”

Sophomore utility Kinsley Washington’s double down the line started a rally for UCLA in the third inning. Washington advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when sophomore shortstop Briana Perez reached on a fielding error by the Dukes’ first baseman.

“I think since our team was really going for that one run that we were behind by, it was really important for me to do anything I could to get on base … and then just let my speed and let my teammates move me over,” Washington said.

Garcia gave herself some insurance runs two batters later, driving a three-run home run to right-center to give UCLA a 4-1 lead.

“Earlier in the week I was joking around with (Inouye-Perez), and I was like, all right, my goal is (opposite field),” Garcia said. “I said, every hit I’m going to get, I’m going to go (opposite field).”

Washington scored again in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded walk, followed by a single from Garcia that scored one more to put UCLA up 6-1.

Washington doubled and walked in the game, scoring two runs and starting the rallies in both the third and fourth. Inouye-Perez said that having productive hitters like Washington batting all the way in the eighth spot in the batting order shows how deep the team is, and is the key to the Bruins’ success this season.

“This is what makes UCLA softball so successful. (Washington) can go anywhere in the country, and she’s in the three-spot,” Inouye-Perez said. “She can fill the role of doing whatever it takes for this team, she has speed, she has power, she has short game.”

In a game that featured two of the three candidates for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year – Garcia and JMU pitcher Megan Good – Garcia emerged with the complete game win. Garcia gave up only one hit after the first inning, striking out 12. On the other side, Good took the loss after giving up six runs in 3 1/3 innings, two earned.

Garcia also edged out Good at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs while Good finished the game 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.

The Bruins will face the Dukes Saturday at 5 p.m. at Easton Stadium, with a chance to win the series and move on to the Women’s College World Series next week.