LOS ANGELES – The No. 3 UCLA softball team goes for its second series win to begin Pac-12 play this weekend, hosting No. 10 Washington for a three-game set broadcasted on the Pac-12 Network.
The Huskies are the fifth top-10 foe the Bruins (25-2, 2-1 Pac-12) will face this season. UCLA was selected to finish first in the Pac-12 Coaches Preseason Poll with eight first-place votes earlier this year in February. Washington was the only other school to receive a first-place vote.
Last Time Out
UCLA opened Pac-12 play by taking two out of three in its series at California last weekend. The Bruins fell in mercy-rule fashion in game two for just their second loss of the season.
Game 1 (W, 4-0): Freshmen Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery knocked in all four of UCLA’s runs. Grant, in front of her Bay Area friends and family, went 3-for-4 with a double and plated each of the Bruins’ first three runs of the games.
Game 2 (L, 8-0): The Golden Bears’ offense teed off for three home runs against the Bruins as UCLA’s offense was held to just four hits. California won the game in five innings on a mercy-rule, walk-off home run by Kacey Zobac.
Game 3 (W, 10-1): Maya Brady went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. UCLA responded after being shutout the previous game with 14 hits in the series rubber match. Once again, it was the freshman Megan Grant who sparked the Bruins’ offense with a two-run homer to put UCLA on the board in the first inning.
No Place Like Easton
The Bruins went 23-1 at home last season with their one loss coming to Utah in the series finale on May 1, 2022. UCLA has swept its conference opponent in each of the last five home-opening series to begin Pac-12 play dating back to 2018 (did not play a Pac-12 series in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic). Since 2018, UCLA is 47-8 in home conference contests.
A Note On Pac-12 Play Last Season
UCLA opened with a 10-0 record in Pac-12 competition in 2022 for its best start to conference play in program history. In that stretch, the Bruins toppled No. 9 Arizona, No. 9 Washington and No. 12 Oregon each three times. UCLA’s 25-game winning streak last season, which was tied for the longest of head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez‘s tenure, was snapped in game two at Stanford on April 9.
Conference Weekly Awards
UCLA hauled in two more Pac-12 weekly awards on Monday….
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