This post was updated April 3 at 11:48 p.m.

Big and small moments alike have long been affectionately attributed to “Bruin magic” by UCLA softball players and coaches.

The term may be ineffable – encompassing everything from leadoff singles to walk-off home runs – but this season, something is in the air within the bounds of Easton Stadium.

Across the regular season’s 39 games, the Bruins have not dropped a single contest at home.

After a multiday trip to the East Coast last week in which it won all four of its games, No. 8 UCLA softball (34-5, 7-1 Big Ten) run-ruled Cal State Northridge (15-17, 8-3 Big West) 10-2 and UC San Diego (7-22, 5-7 Big West) 9-0 on Tuesday in its first games at home since March 16.

“I’m proud of this team. Tuesdays are tough days – especially after coming off a 10-day trip and a day off yesterday – so I couldn’t be more proud of their ability to show up and with energy, with execution,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.

The Bruins are 8-1 in midweek affairs this season, outscoring their opponents 70-9.

Highlighting the Bruins’ Tuesday games was the junior tandem of utility Megan Grant and infielder Jordan Woolery. The former combined for four hits, two runs and two RBIs, while the latter totaled three hits, three runs and two RBIs in just four at-bats.

“We are going in here planning on playing five innings,” said freshman catcher/designated player Sofia Mujica. “We wanted our bats to stay hot, especially coming off our last series that went really well individually.”

The midweek games have allowed bench players opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t get. Chief among them was senior pitcher Jada Cecil. The former Triton tossed five scoreless innings against her previous team, conceding just one hit and one walk while striking out nine.

While the Bruins have consistently rotated through their circle trio – consisting of freshman pitcher/utility Addisen Fisher, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Kaitlyn Terry and junior pitcher Taylor Tinsley – they have equally changed their personnel behind the plate, with Mujica, senior catcher Jayla Castro and freshman catcher/utility Maggie Daniel taking turns as the backstop.

The unprecedented performance from the two first-year catchers stymied the worries of their longtime head coach – who herself used to suit up behind the dish for UCLA.

“If someone were to ask what my concern was, it would be the inexperience behind the plate, but that hasn’t been highlighted to the point where it’s a weakness for us,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re receiving well. They could always work on improving, but they’re working well with the pitchers.”

While they all catch for different arms, a strong relationship exists between Fisher and Mujica.

“We have been together for so long,” Mujica said. “We played multiple years of travel ball, and then we came into here. We played on All-American teams. We played on the USA team together. So that experience, … you can definitely see that between us.”

Senior utility Kate Blunt was given reps at shortstop, with freshman infielder/utility Kaniya Bragg given Tuesday off. Bragg started the season at third base but moved to her left after freshman infielder Aleena Garcia went down with a season-ending injury.

Before the injury, Garcia was a top-ranked defender in the nation and garnered 13 hits and nine RBIs in just 39 at-bats. Given the timing of her injury, Garcia will be able to redshirt this season and retain her four years of NCAA eligibility.

“She’s just a real bright-light team leader. The girls love her so, just having her as part of what we call camaraderie. It hurt,” Inouye-Perez said. “The good news is, she’ll have four more years of being a Bruin. The bad news is, she doesn’t get to be a part of this 2025 with her freshman class.”

UCLA’s pitching staff has consistently been a valuable asset to the squad this season. Preceding Cecil’s five-inning shutout, Tinsley struck out six and walked none in a five-inning performance that featured just two earned runs.

UCLA pitchers may have to rely on their cohesiveness and home field advantage Friday and Saturday when they take on No. 22 Ohio State (30-7-1, 6-2 Big Ten) in a two-game series at Easton Stadium. The Bruins will have to counter the Buckeyes’ biggest offensive threat: catcher/utility Jasmyn Burns.

The sophomore not only leads her team in batting average, but her clip also surpasses that of Woolery – UCLA’s top hitter. In just 89 games in her collegiate career, Burns eclipsed the 100-hit threshold.

The Bruins’ lineup, however, boasts a depth Inouye-Perez said can propel the squad ahead of its opponents.

“This team is really working well as more of a team than just relying on certain hitters to … come back around,” Inouye-Perez said. “That’s when UCLA softball is at its best – because the bottom half gets us back up to the top, and then we’re very dangerous when that happens.”

However, the Buckeyes dominate in offensive production, leading the country in home runs and RBIs – only several places ahead of the Bruins in each category. Woolery still tracks ahead of Ohio State’s leading scorer, infielder Reagan Milliken, with 57 RBIs – good for third nationally over the Buckeye’s 55.

“Hittingwise, we got to jump out early,” Cecil said. “Whenever we jump out early, we’re more successful – so as long as we bring that into this weekend.”