In 2019, the Bruins used two mercy-rule victories at Easton Stadium to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

They went on to win the national championship.

Three years later and the blue and gold achieved the same feat, but without a loss sandwiched between the two wins this time around.

Unlike in its title-winning campaign – which featured a defeat in the regionals – No. 5 seed UCLA softball (46-8, 19-5 Pac-12) went a perfect 3-0 while earning the pair of mercy-rule victories and outscoring its opponents 28-3 in the trio of triumphs.

The Bruins held each of their three Los Angeles Regional opponents to a single run and fewer than five hits, utilizing both putouts and strikeouts to do so.

In redshirt senior pitcher Holly Azevedo’s 9.2 innings in the circle over the weekend, UCLA’s opponents were limited to four hits despite four of the 29 outs coming via strikeout.

The Bruins’ competition also didn’t break a four-hit ceiling during Megan Faraimo’s 7.1 innings of work, but the redshirt junior averaged more than a strikeout per inning and fanned nine of her 28 batters faced.

“It’s real easy when Holly or Megan or our other pitchers strike people out,” said redshirt junior utility Anna Vines. “It makes it really easy on us defenders. When they’re really attacking the zone, you can take a step back and not be so stressed about it.”

Despite Faraimo’s strikeout success, she thanked her defense and said defensive stops and quick innings give the offense energy.

“Shoutout defense because I think a couple of innings there were plays being made left and right,” Faraimo said. “But I think that’s a big momentum thing. If we can get back in the dugout and back to scoring runs, that’s good for the Bruins.”

In addition to the contrasting ways in which Azevedo and Faraimo overcame opposing batters, last weekend’s successes in the batter’s box from players such as Vines highlighted the blue and gold’s offensive versatility.

UCLA’s 28 combined runs were its most in a weekend since March 12, when the offense tallied 12 and 17 runs in a pair of run-rule victories against Fresno State and Cal State Bakersfield. And the blue and gold found multiple ways to put those runs on the board last weekend.

Five different Bruins drilled extra-base hits – including redshirt senior infielder Delanie Wisz’s second-inning grand slam – in the regional-opener against Grand Canyon. Despite being held to its lowest number of hits in the three-game span, UCLA notched its largest run total of the weekend thanks to four doubles, Wisz’s home run and 10 walks.

In Saturday’s win against Loyola Marymount, the Bruins had one extra-base hit but drew five walks, logged 10 singles and added two sacrifice hits. Faraimo and redshirt senior infielder Kinsley Washington earned a pair of RBIs on walks with the bases loaded in the second and sixth frames. In addition, Washington scored on a wild pitch and Vines tacked on UCLA’s seventh and final run on a throwing error.

By combining a high volume of hits with occasional power against Ole Miss, the blue and gold snagged their third and final win of the Los Angeles Regional to advance to an eighth consecutive super regional.

UCLA piled on another 11 hits and earned another three walks, but this time around, three different Bruins hit doubles and Vines connected on a three-run blast for her first home run of the season.

After the super regional-clinching performance, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez credited the recruiting of assistant coach Lisa Fernandez and said the team’s offensive identity is based on its depth and versatility.

“We have just some of the top athletes in the country that can go some other places and be superstars,” Inouye-Perez said. “That’s a strength of UCLA softball – versatility and team culture to be able to do whatever they can to help the team.”