Softball ends yearlong undefeated streak, bounces back with 2 wins

The Bruins never led, never trailed and came from behind to win in their first three games against Pac-12 opponents.

No. 4 UCLA softball (8-1) was defeated for the first time this season Sunday afternoon in a 3-1 loss to No. 6 Oregon (9-1). The Bruins then handed the Ducks their first loss of the season in a 9-3 victory before finishing Monday’s doubleheader with a 6-5 win over Utah (9-5). The games will be counted as nonconference games despite Oregon and Utah both being in the Pac-12.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said her team members learned a lot about themselves after getting their first taste of Pac-12 competition.

“We know we’re capable of great things, and I really encourage and embrace challenges right now,” Inouye-Perez said. “We came out here this weekend to be able to have the opportunity to be challenged. We had talked about scheduling some Pac-12 opponents knowing that it would be some great competition, and we got exactly that this weekend. So, we walk away with a lot more information about ourselves and things that we can work on.”

The three-game stretch began with three scoreless innings before Ducks shortstop Alyssa Brito broke the tie with a solo home run off redshirt sophomore pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo. Oregon added a run in both the fifth and sixth innings and UCLA scored just a single run in the last inning before leaving three runners stranded to suffer its first loss in over a year.

Redshirt junior infielder Briana Perez said her teammates didn’t let the opening loss affect their energy the following day.

“(Oregon) came out big, great game, but we just know a lot of times it’s going to be ourselves if anyone beats us,” Perez said. “I don’t think anything changed too much (the following day) … I think we had good energy and just tried to play our game each time. We’re just lucky that it happened now, and we’re going to keep rolling and hopefully not fall to them in the Pac-12 season.”

The Bruin bats came alive early and often Monday morning as redshirt junior outfielder Aaliyah Jordan opened the rematch against the Ducks with a first-inning two-run homer. Jordan scored two more times in the first five innings, both thanks to RBIs from redshirt junior infielder Delanie Wisz, helping UCLA to a 6-3 lead through the opening five frames.

The scoring continued as the Bruins took advantage of a third Duck error to score a run in the sixth and then added another Jordan run at the hands of Wisz, this time in the form of a two-run homer by the latter. Wisz finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Jordan scored four runs in her 3-for-3, two-RBI performance.

Inouye-Perez said it was only a matter of time before the team’s bats would wake up.

“You can’t keep great talent down for too long,” Inouye-Perez said. “I think their ability to adjust is something that we’re looking for them to do always, and we’re playing a game where, as talented as we are, you don’t always get to square up balls and get hits all the time. But it’s your ability to make adjustments, and that’s what we do.”

Facing a new opponent, UCLA was in danger of losing its second game of the three-game stretch after falling behind to Utah 5-2 through four innings. But the Bruins scored one run in the fifth before a two-run Perez single tied the game in the sixth. Perez would later score the game-winning run in the same inning, and Faraimo finished off the win in the seventh.

Jordan said the team plays better when the team is behind late in games.

“We actually do our best when our backs are against the wall,” Jordan said. “Even though we aren’t getting it in innings one through five, if we can get it in innings six through seven and still come out with the dub, that’s really important – just knowing that at any moment we could change that game or score the winning run.”