UCLA softball to open WCWS double-elimination play against Auburn
Sophomore second baseman Kylee Perez ranks second on the Bruins with a .383 batting average. UCLA softball’s hitting and pitching will be key against No. 4 Auburn when the two face off in game one of the Women’s College World Series Thursday. (Ken Shin/Daily Bruin)
By Louie Greenwald
June 2, 2016 2:19 a.m.
After bumps along the way, No. 12 UCLA softball finds itself back in Oklahoma City for its second-straight Women’s College World Series.
Although they won 14 of their last 16 games, the Bruins hardly looked like a championship contender over the first couple months of the season.
Plagued by inconsistency early in the season, UCLA struggled to keep opponents off the bases with unreliable pitching and defense.
Since traveling to Eugene, Oregon in early April and stealing two out of three from the then-No. 4 Oregon Ducks, the Bruins amended their woes, losing only three games since.
“I love it when people don’t expect you to do it and then you actually get it done,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
Hot off the heels of a come-from-behind upset of Oregon to advance past the super regionals, UCLA will face a well-rounded No. 4-seeded Auburn team in the first game of double-elimination play.
The Tigers’ pitchers own the 16th-lowest team ERA in the country at 2.14, and opposing hitters are hitting .217 off of Auburn’s star duo of freshman Makayla Martin and sophomore Kaylee Carlson.
The Bruins’ offense handled tough pitching well in the last series, besting Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Cheridan Hawkins in the decisive third game.
“If one of us doesn’t get the job done, we know the one behind us will,” said sophomore second baseman Kylee Perez.
Senior third baseman Mysha Sataraka and senior center fielder Allexis Bennett continue to be the keys to the offense’s success. They’ve each reached base at a clip above .500 this season and carried UCLA’s offense.
Meanwhile, the Tigers’ offense scored the second-most runs per game led by Kasey Cooper. The junior third baseman is third in the country in RBIs and tied for ninth in home runs.
After allowing eight runs in the first game of the super regional series against Oregon, UCLA pitchers held opposing hitters to only two runs on 10 hits over the final two games.
Looking beyond the Tigers, Bruin pitchers will face a bevy of hefty lineups.
Every team in the tournament ranks within the top 30 in scoring, and both Georgia and Florida State – the two teams UCLA could potentially play in its second game – score over six runs per game.
Whether or not sophomores Johanna Grauer and Selina Ta’amilo along with redshirt junior Paige McDuffee can build upon their success the last couple of games will determine how far the Bruins will go.
Last year, UCLA’s trip to the WCWS was brief, as the team was sent packing after playing only three games.
The Bruins seek redemption this year, hoping to capture their 13th championship title and first since 2010.
“There’s a saying that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, which I agree with,” Inouye-Perez said. “We are a completely different team from the start of the season.”
Email Greenwald at [email protected] or tweet @louiebgreenwald.
