UCLA softball continues losing streak with loss to Northwestern in Florida

In an extra-innings duel, the Wildcats ultimately came out on top.

No. 3 UCLA softball (4-2) fell to Northwestern (6-1) by a score of 6-4 in eight innings in its first game of the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational in Clearwater, Florida on Friday. The defeat marks the first time the blue and gold have lost two consecutive regular-season games since the 2018 season after falling to No. 1 Oklahoma on Feb. 12.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after redshirt junior outfielder Kelli Godin scored off of an RBI sacrifice fly from redshirt senior infielder Delanie Wisz.

Redshirt junior pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo took the circle for UCLA and tallied six strikeouts without allowing any runs through the first four innings. Faraimo, who tossed all eight frames for the Bruins, threw a career-high 142 pitches against the Wildcats.

“(Assistant coach Lisa Fernandez’s) goal of our bullpens is to make sure that we’re prepared to go the distance and just be able to throw an unlimited amount of pitches,” Faraimo said. “Endurance-wise, I didn’t feel too bad because we prepare as a pitching staff for that.”

UCLA extended its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning because of an RBI double from redshirt senior outfielder Aaliyah Jordan. Northwestern responded in the same frame with a double and an RBI single, putting it on the board.

The Wildcats tied up the game in the following inning when Faraimo gave up her first home run of the season to Northwestern infielder/outfielder Rachel Lewis. With neither team scoring in the seventh, the contest entered extra innings.

The Bruins’ bats woke up in the top of the eighth, ignited by an RBI sacrifice fly to right field from redshirt sophomore utility Maya Brady that brought Jordan home. Redshirt senior infielder Kinsley Washington hit a change-up over the fences the following at-bat, tacking on an insurance run.

“Going up there I wasn’t only preparing to be the one, but I was actually hoping to be the one to make the game look a little different,” Washington said. “I was pretty calm just knowing that (Northwestern pitcher Danielle Williams) was throwing change-ups all day long to every single person so I sat on the change and just tried to keep the game alive.”

Washington nearly hit for the cycle against the Wildcats, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and home run. She currently leads UCLA with a .556 batting average and three home runs.

Washington said her offensive success this season stems from the new role she has taken on for the Bruins.

“In the past, I had been utilizing all three tools equally – my slapping, my bunting and my hitting,” Washington said. “This year, I’ve dialed that back to focus 60% on hitting and the other 40% between bunting and slapping. That’s definitely made a really big difference when I’m standing in the box with runners in scoring position, just knowing that I have the power to drive in runs this year.”

With UCLA leading 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, Faraimo returned to the circle to close out the game. However, she was unable to hold down the Northwestern offense, surrendering a three-run walk-off home run to the Wildcats.

“Northwestern has a really great lineup and that was their fourth time through, so I had seen those batters a few times,” Faraimo said. “I just needed to do a better job of showing them different pitches, and I would have maybe had a little bit more success.”

While Faraimo ultimately lost this pitcher’s duel, she ended the night with 14 strikeouts and walked one batter.

Despite the eighth inning breakdown, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said she still holds confidence in the ability of her ace pitcher to excel in big moments.

“Megan is a beast and I love that she’s getting more and more experienced in these situations,” Inouye-Perez said. “If this leads to bigger things for the future, then let’s take this and have it be a defining moment.”