#1 UCLA Softball Takes on #8 Oregon in Battle of Unbeatens
UCLA will look for another win after Megan Faraimo threw a five-inning perfect game on Wednesday against San Diego State.
The UCLA softball team is in Tempe, Arizona to participate in a non-conference round robin against Pac-12 opponents today and tomorrow. Today’s game is against the Oregon Ducks and is scheduled for 1 pm PT.
Last Time Out
On Wednesday, the Bruins hosted San Diego State and what a dandy it was! Redshirt sophomore Megan Faraimo threw a mercy-rule shortened five-inning perfect game as UCLA won, 14-0. Faraimo struck five of the fifteen batters she faced while retiring seven via fly outs and three via groundouts.
Meanwhile, the Bruin bats were bashing.
Briana Perez got things going in the bottom of the first with a one-out double to right. She scored when Aaliyah Jordan knocked the ball up the middle for an RBI single.
The second inning was the big one for UCLA. Alyssa Garcia led of the inning with an infield single and she moved to second when Seneca Curo walked on four pitches. Kinsley Washington scored Garcia and moved Curo to third with an RBI double, but Curo was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice from Kelli Godin that moved Washington to third and left Godin on second. After Bubba Nickles walked to load the bases, Perez brought Washington home on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. With two outs now, Jordan reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Godin and moved Nickles to second. After Lauryn Carter pinch-ran for Jordan, Delanie Wisz cleared the bases with a three-run homer to right, which made it 7-0. Maya Brady followed and drew a five-pitch walk.
That sent San Diego State to the bullpen as Karina Faasisila relieved for Maggie Balint, but it didn’t help much. A wild pitch from Faasisila sent Brady to second and Garcia’s second single of the inning scored her for the final Bruin run of the inning.
In the third, UCLA used to two-run triple by Perez, a two-run homer by Carter and Wisz’s second homer of the game—this one, a solo shot—to tack on five more runs, making it 13-0. They also added one more in the fourth inning, but it didn’t matter because of Faraimo’s perfection and this one ended early due to the mercy rule.
Oregon Ducks
Today’s game looks to be a good one. Like the Bruins, the Ducks come into this one undefeated and four of their seven wins have been mercy-rule wins. The difference is that the Ducks haven’t been playing teams in the same echelon as the Bruins’ opponents. It doesn’t change the fact that today’s game will knock one of the teams from the ranks of the unbeaten.
UCLA is batting better than Oregon so far. UCLA is batting .385 to Oregon’s .320 while they are slugging .708 to the Ducks’ .543. The Bruins hold the edge in triples and homers as well, 5 and 9 to 2 and 6, respectively. The only offensive category where the Ducks lead is in doubles, 17 to 15, but that seems even less impressive when you consider that UCLA has 14 fewer at-bats than Oregon.
The pitching staffs have very similar numbers. So, it’s going to come down to which team can get on base and drive their runners home against very good pitching.
I’ve got to believe the UCLA has the edge because of how they are hitting this early in the season, but it’s definitely going to be a low scoring game today.
#1 UCLA Softball (6-0)
What: Pac-12 Round Robin
Opponent:Â #8 Oregon Ducks (7-0)
When:Â 1:00 pm PT, Sunday, February 28, 2021
Where:Â Farrington Softball Stadium, Tempe, AZ
TV:Â None
Live Stream: Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app
Live Stats:Â UCLA Stat Broadcast
Official Game Preview
Go Bruins!
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UCLA suffers first loss (1-3) in a lackluster performance.