UCLA softball’s win streak propels them toward CSUN matchup
Senior outfielder Allexis Bennett was key in the UCLA softball team’s narrow 2-1 win against Stanford, and will look to lead the team against CSUN with fellow senior infielder Mysha Sataraka. (Ken Shin/DailyBruin)
Softballl
CSUN
Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Easton Stadium
By Brent Troop
April 13, 2016 12:24 a.m.
The past 10 matchups against Cal State Northridge have been kind to UCLA softball, as the Bruins lead the series 9-1 since 2001, with five shutouts and a run differential of +54.
The No. 13 Bruins (25-11-1, 7-3-1 Pac-12) face a quick turnaround this week, playing on a single day of rest against the Matadors (23-17, 3-3 Big West) on Wednesday. The game will be at Easton Stadium, where the team is 8-4 and is currently on a four-game home winning streak.
UCLA has seemingly put it together on the field over the past few weeks, winning seven of its last eight games.
It hasn’t been all positive, though. The Bruins, in their first series sweep of the season, struggled with its consistency against a weak Stanford Cardinal team that sits dead last in the Pac-12 with a conference record of 0-9.
“We gave away a lot of at-bats (Monday) – it was frustrating to watch,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “I believe we’re better offensively, but good teams find a way to win.”
The question for this week’s matchup will be whether or not the offense and the defense both show up ready to play.
Redshirt junior Paige McDuffee will likely take the mound for the team after sophomore pitcher Selina Ta’amilo threw 116 pitches Monday and sophomore pitcher Johanna Grauer threw 84 pitches Sunday. The Bruins – who are 1-1 in midweek games on the season – said they believe they can hold their own against the Matadors. This new sense of confidence has overtaken the team since its road victories against Pac-12 leader Oregon at the start of April.
“I think it will be a good test for us to see just how focused we are,” said junior shortstop Delaney Spaulding. “I think we’ll come out and we’ll have a dominant performance again because that’s where we are right now.”
The Bruins’ offense will look to continue relying on their upperclassmen for hits and runs, as senior outfielder Allexis Bennett and senior third baseman Mysha Sataraka were key factors in their wins against the Cardinal.
“We look to our seniors to motivate us,” said sophomore second baseman Kylee Perez. “They can’t be the spark plug every game, but they’re so influential.”
A win against CSUN will be a solid stepping-stone for UCLA, who hopes to carry its momentum into a home weekend series against Oregon State.
