Softball’s sweep of 3 Pac-12 schools marks historic start to conference play
Redshirt sophomore utility Seneca Curo stands along the basepath against Nevada on Feb 11. Curo tallied her first home run of the season in No. 3 UCLA softball’s contest against then-No. 12 Oregon on April 2. (Marc-Anthony Rosas/Daily Bruin)
By Diego Farinha
April 6, 2022 4:40 p.m.
The Bruins accomplished something for the first time in the 21st century over the weekend.
Racing to an undefeated record through three weeks of conference play, No. 3 UCLA softball (31-3, 9-0 Pac-12) swept Oregon, Washington and Arizona in the same season for the first time this century. The trio of clean sweeps also marks the first time the Bruins have begun conference play 9-0 since 2019, the season they last won the national championship.
“It’s definitely an impressive start,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “The brands of those schools – there’s a lot to be said. … To be able to sweep all three – huge.”
The Bruins completed the conference-play sweeps without two opening-day starters in redshirt senior outfielder Aaliyah Jordan and redshirt senior infielder Kinsley Washington. Jordan’s season-ending injury occurred Feb. 19 while Washington injured her hand March 20 against Arizona and has remained out of the lineup for the past seven games.
Inouye-Perez said the team’s undefeated start to Pac-12 play despite injuries is encouraging.
“It’s even more impressive because we’re not at full strength,” Inouye-Perez said. “We have people that are still out of the lineup. The best part of the story is we’re not even operating on all cylinders. We’re not 100%. We’re still finding ways to win.”
The Bruins’ victories over their conference foes have come in a different fashion. After shutting out Arizona to start Pac-12 play, UCLA mounted comebacks to win games against Washington and Oregon.
The blue and gold overcame a deficit in Seattle against the Huskies courtesy of miscues from the Washington defense and a solo-shot insurance run from redshirt senior infielder Delanie Wisz. In the series opener against the Ducks, redshirt sophomore utility Seneca Curo and freshman utility Savannah Pola’s hitting ignited another Bruin comeback.
Curo – who has filled in at right field and first base for Jordan and Washington, respectively – said she’s happy to assist the team any way she can.
“(I’m) very grateful for the opportunity,” Curo said. “Fortunate enough that I can play anywhere they need me. So that’s my job. I’m going to contribute any way I can.”
Graduate student pitcher Lauren Shaw started in the circle for UCLA’s historic victory and remained there for 6.1 innings, the longest appearance of her Bruin career.
The Iowa transfer said the blue and gold’s winning streak demonstrates the depth of the squad.
“Those are great teams that we played, and we’ve had the ability to come through and step up,” Shaw said. “It’s been different people every time, and I think this speaks to the talent we have on our team and how dedicated everyone is to being the one.”
