UCLA softball extends winning streak with win over Washington

After Feb. 26, the Bruins had never trailed after the first inning in a game.

Despite finding themselves behind in the fifth inning Sunday, the blue and gold ended that contest the same way as its last 20 – victorious.

In its first conference road series of the season, No. 3 UCLA softball (28-3, 6-0 Pac-12) swept No. 9 Washington (20-10, 1-5) over the weekend to continue its perfect start to Pac-12 play. Sunday’s come-from-behind 5-4 triumph extended the Bruins’ winning streak to 21 games – the longest streak since 2018 when they won their first 25 contests of the season.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said she was pleased with her team’s ability to make a comeback against a challenging conference foe on the road.

“Washington’s a legit team, so it created that excitement, that drama,” Inouye-Perez said. “I told the girls before the game started, ‘I hope they bring their A-game. … That really puts us in a position to step up and play our A-game.’”

The blue and gold offense began Friday’s series-opening contest with a three-run first inning against Washington pitcher Gabbie Plain. After redshirt senior infielder Briana Perez earned a leadoff walk, the Bruins used back-to-back 2-strike hits – including an RBI double down the right field line from redshirt senior infielder Delanie Wisz – to score the game’s first run.

Freshman utility Savannah Pola scored one batter later on an RBI groundout from sophomore utility Maya Brady, and Wisz completed her journey around the bases by scoring from third base on a two-out wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-0.

The three runs were all UCLA’s ace needed.

After giving up a home run and double in back-to-back at-bats in the bottom of the first, redshirt junior pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo kept Washington’s lineup hitless until the bottom of the fifth. The Huskies added a second run – unearned – on that single. However, Faraimo didn’t allow a baserunner for the remainder of the game to finish her 3-hit complete game and seal a 3-2 victory for the blue and gold.

“She just does her – she just comes in and pitches how she knows how,” Wisz said.

Following Faraimo’s complete game, the Bruins extended their winning streak to 20 games with their 15th shutout of the year Saturday. Despite fanning one batter, redshirt senior pitcher Holly Azevedo gave up four hits and a single walk in 5 1/3 innings in the circle to pick up her 12th win in 13 decisions.

After scoring three runs in the first the night before, the Bruin offense didn’t record a hit until the top of the fourth when Pola singled to leadoff the frame. Wisz immediately followed the leadoff knock with a seven-pitch walk before Brady hit a sharp ground ball up the middle for an RBI single.

The Huskies responded by hitting a leadoff triple in the bottom of the fourth, but Azevedo answered with three outs and held her opponents scoreless before being pulled in the sixth.

Following back-to-back strikeouts from Faraimo to get out of a jam in the sixth frame, UCLA scored three runs in the top of the seventh on five hits – including two 2-out RBI singles – to extend its lead to 4-0 before Faraimo closed things out once again in the bottom of the seventh.

In the final game of the weekend, the Bruins scored early against Plain again thanks to a Wisz RBI single followed by an RBI double from redshirt sophomore catcher/first baseman Alyssa Garcia.

After UCLA tee’d off against Washington’s ace in the top of the first, the Huskies reciprocated with a two-run home run against Azevedo. The Bruins pulled Azevedo with one out in the first inning to bring in Faraimo for her third-straight appearance of the weekend.

The blue and gold’s ace pitched the remaining 6 2/3 innings and threw 141 pitches in the process. Despite giving up nine hits and walking four batters, Faraimo held the Huskies to two runs.

“I’m so proud of Megan because she is someone who has the ability to do exactly this,” Inouye-Perez said. “In a critical situation, Megan has proven to be able to be the one that we’ve been giving the ball with that experience.”

Trailing 3-2 in the fifth, the Bruins tied the game on a wild pitch before taking the lead an inning later on an error from the Huskies’ second basemen. Faraimo continued to keep Washington scoreless through the fourth, fifth and sixth before Wisz extended the UCLA lead to 5-3 with a solo home run to straightaway center in the top of the seventh.

Faraimo, who closed the game out, said her catcher played a big role in her pitching success.

“Delanie is a dog,” Faraimo said. “She’s able to bring me back to the present. She knows exactly when to call time. And then on the other side, her offensive game is insane. … I wouldn’t know what to throw to her.”