A year ago, junior pitcher Mackenzie Ficke was on UCLA’s club softball team.

On Tuesday afternoon, she made her first start at the DI level.

“This team has been incredibly supportive,” Ficke said. “This game, I think, obviously showcased that.”

Behind a complete game from Ficke, No. 6 UCLA softball (31-10, 14-4 Pac-12) picked up a 14-5 run rule victory over Cal State Northridge (21-24, 5-16 Big West) on Tuesday afternoon. Ficke struck out two batters in her five-inning outing.

On Monday night, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez gave Ficke a call, mentioning she would have the ball in the circle and officially informing her of the opportunity to make her first Division I start.

“She loves to pitch, so big moment for us,” Inouye-Perez said. “A big moment for her, but she’s been training for this all year from January until today, so it was really awesome to be able to see it come full circle and for her to help us get a W today.”

Ficke allowed just one hit and no runs through the first two innings. Early fielding mistakes from the Matadors allowed the Bruins to open up the scoring, with their first two runs coming from errors in the first and second innings.

The scoring continued for the Bruins, with redshirt senior shortstop Maya Brady delivering a sacrifice fly to bring home the third run of the evening in the second inning.

The Bruins piled on two more runs in the third inning, with sophomore utility Megan Grant striking an RBI double down left field and sophomore infielder Jordan Woolery adding an RBI single of her own.

However, the Matadors exposed Ficke’s lack of experience during the bottom half of the third frame, driving in four singles and runs of their own while diminishing the lead the Bruins had built prior.

Despite the shaky third inning, UCLA showcased its composure and responded.

Over the next two frames, the Bruins drove home nine runs, extending the lead once again and relieving some pressure off of the first-time starter.

“My team totally had my back today. I give up some runs, and they come back with four times more,” Ficke said. “It made it so much easier and more fun to go out there and know that they have my back.”

Grant recorded a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning, increasing her RBI total on the day to six and solidifying the run-rule victory for the Bruins after no response in the bottom frame from CSUN.

Inouye-Perez said the weekend series against Stanford catalyzed Grant’s current hitting success.

“She got really locked in that Stanford weekend and really hit with some really big purpose,” Inouye-Perez said. “And since then, I think she’s been swinging very confidently.”

Ficke ended her collegiate debut allowing one run and two hits in the final two frames, settling in after her shaky third inning. She also recorded the first two strikeouts of her career on the day.

“Just taking deep breaths, one pitch at a time. I think she really settled in and did it,” Grant said.

Ficke’s family made sure not to miss her first career start on the national stage.

“Seeing them there really meant the world because they put so much time and effort into making this dream become a reality,” Ficke said.