UCLA softball sets sights on upcoming weekend at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

In the wake of a walk-off loss, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said the way the Bruins respond to adversity will define their season.

“It’s about what you do next – those are the defining moments,” Inouye-Perez said. “We have to live in the moment and be able to let go of the past and not be concerned about the future.”

No. 6 UCLA softball (7-3) is slated to play five games in three days at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California, this weekend. The Bruins will face Iowa State and Texas Tech on Friday before taking on No. 17 Tennessee and Baylor on Saturday and closing out the weekend with a matchup against No. 16 Missouri on Sunday.

The blue and gold picked up three wins over five games at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational last weekend, ending the tournament with a 4-3 walk-off loss against then-No. 5 Florida State.

Inouye-Perez said she’s proud of the way her team performed against the Seminoles, despite failing to clinch the victory.

“We competed, and we played with great energy, and we played as one, but we didn’t get the outcome,” Inouye-Perez said. “At the end of the day, we all know we’re heading in the right direction, and I really love that we competed on that last day to be able to finish out a very challenging tournament.”

Even with three defeats on the season, the Bruins have outscored their opponents 71-16 this season, with six of their regular starters hitting above .300. Among these players is freshman utility Savannah Pola, who hit .310 with three doubles, one triple and two home runs while starting all 10 games.

“It’s been really exciting and just seems unreal because I’ve been watching college softball for my whole life, and to be playing it now – I just have no words,” Pola said. “My teammates have been helping me a lot with the transition into college, … and they just help me calm my nerves and give me tips on how to adjust and play the game.”

Another new face to the UCLA roster who is expected to contribute in this weekend’s games is graduate student pitcher Lauren Shaw, who transferred from Iowa this season. Shaw has thrown just over nine innings of relief and has given up two runs in six appearances, rounding out a pitching staff that has given up more than four runs in a game once this season.

Shaw said the Bruins’ pitchers will continue to improve entering this weekend’s tournament.

“We’re just getting started,” Shaw said. “It’s the beginning of the season, and yes, we’re off to a good start, but I think that the pitching staff will come back with even better results in the next couple weeks.”

At the last Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in 2020, UCLA went 4-1 with two mercy-rule triumphs and two walk-off victories in extra innings.

On top of winning all five games, Pola said her main objective this weekend is to enjoy herself.

“Looking ahead to this weekend, my goal is just to have fun and enjoy the games because it’s a pretty exciting tournament that I’ve watched since I was little,” Pola said. “Just keep it simple, stay true to myself and don’t make the game bigger than it is.”

UCLA will begin the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic against Iowa State at 5:30 p.m. Friday.