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UCLA softball secures two victories in doubleheader against Long Beach State

Redshirt sophomore utility Anna Vines hit No. 2 UCLA softball’s only home run of the day – and only her second of the year – in the Bruins doubleheader win Wednesday. (David Rimer/Daily Bruin Staff)

Softball


No. 2 UCLA5
Long Beach State1
No. 2 UCLA10
Long Beach State2

By Jon Christon

May 6, 2021 1:10 p.m.

The Bruins small-balled their way to a doubleheader sweep.

No. 2 UCLA softball (34-3, 13-2 Pac-12) defeated Long Beach State (26-8, 19-2 Big West) in both legs of a doubleheader Wednesday, beating the Beach 5-1 in the opener and 10-2 in five innings in the nightcap on the road. Despite scoring 15 runs across the two games, the Bruins had two run-scoring hits that resulted in extra bases, scoring seven runs on non-hits.

“We’re just playing the game. We don’t ever come into a game thinking home runs only, so it’s a funny way to win,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “We don’t really have control over runs or if the ball leaves the yard, but we’re looking for quality at-bats, moving runners, just figuring out a way to come through when it counts, and we did that.”

After three innings of scoreless pitching from redshirt senior pitcher Rachel Garcia, the finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award started the scoring with a run of her own on a single from redshirt senior catcher Jenavee Peres.

Redshirt junior infielder Briana Perez continued the scoring in the next inning, hitting her fifth triple of the season – and the Bruins’ only extra-base hit of the game – to score two and make it 3-0 before Garcia tacked on another insurance run to extend her lead in the circle to four. An RBI ground out from redshirt junior infielder Kinsley Washington in the fifth gave UCLA the five runs it had to end the contest.

Despite not hitting a long ball in the game, the Bruins were able to put the second-most earned runs of the season on Long Beach State pitcher Kellie White’s ledger, as the five earned runs were second only to the eight she gave up last week to Hawaii. White entered Wednesday’s game with a 1.66 ERA.

“We did a great job with runners in scoring position. We were very patient at the plate, had a lot of walks today,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s a great day. I was very proud of what we accomplished today.”

The Bruins continued the small-ball trend into game two of the doubleheader, scoring the first two runs of the nightcap on a walk and then a sacrifice fly, both in the second inning.

Two more runs crossed the plate the following inning with an RBI single from redshirt freshman utility Maya Brady, who would herself score on the play because of a fielding error by the center fielder.

UCLA would finally hit one over the fence for the first and only home run of the day later in the inning after redshirt sophomore utility Anna Vines’ second long ball of the season made the score 5-0.

“Honestly, I just wanted to have a good at-bat and get on base for my team,” Vines said. “(I was) just lucky, getting a good ball and putting a good bat on it, wasn’t really looking for anything other than a ball that I knew that I could hit and get on base for my team.”

The fifth inning featured more of the same, as after a redshirt sophomore outfielder Kelli Godin RBI single to make it 6-2, UCLA scored two runs on bases-loaded walks and one on a wild pitch to extend the lead to nine.

On the day, the Bruins scored three runs on walks, two on ground outs and one apiece on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.

“One thing we do here is really working on just getting on base, moving people over and doing anything that we can to score and win a ball game,” Vines said.

In the circle, UCLA got a pair of complete games from Garcia and redshirt junior pitcher Holly Azevedo, the latter of whom went only five innings because of the Bruins’ run-rule victory.

Garcia stopped the Beach from playing some small ball of their own in her complete game, as UCLA’s ace threw over 140 pitches – the second most she’s thrown in a game this season – and allowed 10 baserunners but struck out 10 to give up the one earned run.

The right-hander received defensive reinforcements from players like freshman infielder Thessa Malau’ulu, who, among other plays, made a diving catch on a Long Beach State bunt attempt and threw out a runner at first after the ball ricocheted off early in the game.

“With Rachel on the mound, I have 100% confidence in her on the field, doing what she has to do. And I know that the hits off of her are probably not going to be crazy because she’s able to move the ball so well, and everyone pretty much knows that,” Malau’ulu said. “She knows that the defense behind is going to get it, and we know that as a pitcher, she’s going to get the ones that we can’t.”

UCLA will next play its last home series of the year when it takes on Stanford at Easton Stadium in a four-game set starting Friday.

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Jon Christon | Sports senior staff
Christon is currently a Sports senior staff writer. He was previously the Sports editor on the men's basketball and football beats and the assistant Sports editor on the women's basketball, softball, men's tennis and women's tennis beats. Christon was previously a contributor on the women's basketball and softball beats.
Christon is currently a Sports senior staff writer. He was previously the Sports editor on the men's basketball and football beats and the assistant Sports editor on the women's basketball, softball, men's tennis and women's tennis beats. Christon was previously a contributor on the women's basketball and softball beats.
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