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Senior’s walk-off home run the latest feat in stellar career

Senior Mysha Sataraka has always led the team with her prowess at the plate. Most recently, the third baseman launched a line drive walk-off home run against Arizona State on Friday night. (Ken Shin/Daily Bruin)

By Dylan Sanders

May 4, 2016 12:56 a.m.

UCLA softball was in a tight spot last Friday night. Down 6-5 to Arizona State with only three outs to spare, the Bruins desperately needed to continue the late-inning rally that had cut the Sun Devils’ lead down to a single run.

With runners on first and second, Mysha Sataraka stepped to the plate. Despite the mounted pressure in the opening game of her senior weekend, she remained calm as she took her practice swings.

“Coach Lisa (Fernandez) helps me to take that breath and relax,” Sataraka said. “I wasn’t trying to do too much. Whatever was given to me I would’ve taken.”

Sataraka waited patiently in the batter’s box, taking a ball on an 0-2 count. She connected on the next pitch, sending a laser-like shot into deep center field. The ball rebounded off the netting above the outfield wall and landed in the grass for a walk-off home run as she circled the bases.

“At first I thought it was more of a line drive that would maybe hit the wall,” Sataraka said. “I think I ran a couple of steps before I looked and saw it.”

Sataraka went 3-for-6 in UCLA’s series against ASU and in Friday’s game alone had five RBIs and two home runs. She crossed the plate four times and had six walks over the course of the Bruins’ three-game sweep.

Her impressive performance was acknowledged by the Pac-12 on Monday, as she was named the conference’s player of the week for the third time in her career.

The 5-foot-7 third baseman received the title twice during her sophomore year.

On both occasions she was recognized for her dominance in the batter’s box. The first instance came after she went 7-for-14 at the 2014 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Then, in a mid-March series, she hit a double and a home run that helped UCLA complete a three-game sweep of Pac-12 rival Arizona.

By the end of the 2014 season, she was tied with then-junior Ally Carda for most RBIs on the team with 55, and led UCLA with 16 home runs. She made both the All-Pac-12 First Team and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Second Team that year.

Sataraka’s lengthy list of accomplishments dates back even further: As a freshman, she was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman and All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention teams. She was also on the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team in the summer of 2013, where she earned a silver medal at the International Softball Federation Junior Women’s World Championship.

“When girls work hard, like Mysha does, the game will pay them back,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “Her ability to work hard and be able to execute under pressure (has allowed her to succeed) on the big stage.”

This year, as a senior, Sataraka leads UCLA not only in terms of power, as her 11 home runs are the third most for the Bruins, but also through her productive at-bats. The seasoned veteran’s patience at the plate has been a great asset for UCLA, as her .560 on-base percentage and 51 walks are the highest on the team.

Although next weekend’s series against Utah marks the last few regular season games of her collegiate career, Sataraka has made a significant impact on UCLA softball throughout her tenure in the storied program.

Recently, she has helped turn the Bruins from a squad plagued with inconsistency into a team with playoff potential, as they currently reside in second place in the Pac-12 standings. Now, only two games behind Oregon, a strong performance this coming weekend could give them the opportunity to host this year’s regional playoffs.

No. 14 UCLA (33-13-1, 14-5-1 Pac-12) will begin its final conference series against third-place Utah (31-15, 12-6 Pac-12) this Friday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.

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Dylan Sanders | Alumnus
Sanders joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2016 and contributed until 2017. He spent time on the baseball, softball and men's soccer beats.
Sanders joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2016 and contributed until 2017. He spent time on the baseball, softball and men's soccer beats.
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