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Softball defeats UC San Diego in first-ever matchup, continues winning streak

Redshirt senior utility Bubba Nickles went 2-for-4 in No. 3 UCLA softball’s win over UC San Diego on Wednesday, adding in two RBIs and one run while leaving two on base. (Christine Kao/Daily Bruin staff)

Softball


UC San Diego1
No. 3 UCLA7

By Gavin Carlson

March 10, 2021 3:09 p.m.

After back-to-back five-inning wins, the Bruins used all seven to finish off a wire-to-wire victory.

No. 3 UCLA softball (11-1) led by multiple runs at the end of each inning in a 7-1 win over UC San Diego (1-4) in the first-ever matchup between the two programs. The Bruins left what would have been the game-ending run stranded in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings before retiring the Tritons in the seventh.

Despite the missed opportunities, redshirt senior utility Bubba Nickles said the team focuses less on the final score in wins and more on specific areas of improvement.

“Typically we don’t really care about the results or the outcome – we are happy with whatever the score is if we get a dub,” Nickles said. “Even if we run-rule, we still acknowledge all the things that we could have done better, (and) we acknowledge all the things that we did well if it was a close game too. We really try and take pride in the details that we could have been better at and I think that’s what makes it so special for when this competition gets tougher.”

Nickles led off the bottom of the first with a line-drive double to right-center before two walks loaded the bases early. While Nickles was put-out at home later in the inning, redshirt freshman utility Maya Brady was able to finish the rally Nickles started with a two-strike, two-out, two-RBI single to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead after the first frame.

UCLA’s leadoff hitter contributed to more Bruin offense in the second with a two-RBI single to center before coming around to score the team’s fifth run in the first two innings. She finished 2-for-4 to raise her batting average to .340 on the season.

While the offense put up five in the first two innings, redshirt sophomore pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning. She struck out seven of the first eight Tritan hitters and was perfect until a one-out single in the fourth led to the only run – it was unearned – of the game for UCSD.

Faraimo credited her teammates’ strong offensive start for her confidence throughout her performance.

“I felt like my offense was kind of working for me today scoring runs,” Faraimo said. “After giving up that run in the fourth I was just trying to focus on getting back to throwing strikes and just trying to get the batters out and get back in the dugout.”

Faraimo did get back to throwing strikes as she fanned five more batters and allowed just one additional hit in the remaining three innings. She finished her third complete game of the season with 12 strikeouts and just three hits allowed.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said Faraimo wasn’t at her best and the team’s high expectations for her show just how talented she is.

“It’s pretty amazing to have a standard where we have strong visuals of her not giving up any hits,” Inouye-Perez said. “One thing that I’m always proud of her is after something happens, you know she can dial it back in and get herself out of a jam. I wouldn’t say she was as sharp as she normally could be, but she competed and that’s always Megan Faraimo.”

The Bruins made a late attempt at ending Faraimo’s start early by scoring two runs in the fifth but ended the inning with two runners stranded in scoring position before leaving the bases loaded in the sixth. UCLA finished with a total of 10 hits but left nine baserunners stranded overall.

Inouye-Perez said the team envisions winning these types of games in five innings while acknowledging her supreme confidence allows her to challenge her gifted group.

“The expectation and what we’re striving for is definitely to only take five innings, and we know we’re capable,” Inouye-Perez said. “Hitting is not something that is an easy thing to just dial-in. The good thing is once again, like (Faraimo), we have great expectations of what we’re capable of (and we) don’t always get to show it.”

While the Bruins didn’t end things early this time around, they remain undefeated against non-Pac-12 opponents and are outscoring them 84-to-10.

UCLA will have the chance to extend this unbeaten stretch against nonconference opponents when it takes on UC Santa Barbara twice Thursday at Easton Stadium.

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Gavin Carlson | Sports staff
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
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