This post was updated May 6 at 8:30 p.m.

The gray clouds that hung above Easton Stadium on Sunday seemingly foretold the Bruins’ gloomy fate in their regular season finale.

With a 5-3 defeat by Northwestern (29-17-1, 16-6 Big Ten), No. 8 UCLA softball (47-9-0, 17-5) dropped its final series of the regular season after getting shut out for the third time this year Friday 8-0 in six innings and evening the series out Saturday with a score of 15-8.

The Bruins led 3-1 heading into the sixth, scoring all three runs in the bottom of the third. Junior infielder Jordan Woolery spearheaded the rally after reaching on a fielder’s choice, allowing graduate student outfielder Jessica Clements to slide home.

With the bases loaded, redshirt sophomore catcher/utility Alexis Ramirez singled, allowing two to score.

But the Wildcats rallied for four unanswered – three of which were earned – in the top of the sixth with a walk and four singles off freshman pitcher/utility Addisen Fisher, deflating the once-electrified home crowd.

“The team is not okay with the fact that we weren’t able to close it out today, so I look forward to seeing what they do next,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.

Although this was not the send-off the Bruins were hoping for on Senior Day, they did not allow the loss to overshadow the occasion.

“This is a really special group of seniors, and they’re all great people, and it’s sad to see them go,” Ramirez said. “But the season’s not over, so we’re really cherishing the final moments we do have together.”

The Bruins celebrated eight seniors and graduate students Sunday afternoon, including Clements; utilities Savannah Pola, Taylor Stephens and Kate Blunt; catcher Jayla Castro; pitcher Jada Cecil; infielder Seneca Curo; and outfielder Lauren Hatch.

And to Inouye-Perez, the seniors personify UCLA’s softball culture.

“Our philosophy is – family comes first. For the seniors, they have done a great job of being able to not only represent on the field but off the field as well,” Inouye-Perez said. “I’m proud of the powerful women that they’ve grown to be, as far as their leadership and their ability to deal with adversity, and to be able to teach everybody what UCLA softball is all about.”

UCLA ended the regular season with a .839 winning percentage and a second-place finish in its inaugural Big Ten season.

Alongside team success, sluggers Megan Grant and Woolery were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top-25 finalists, while Fisher landed a spot in the 2025 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year top-25 list.

Inouye-Perez said the squad’s adaptability was at the core of its identity.

“We’ve had to be versatile,” Inouye-Perez said. “Five different people have had to switch positions midseason, which says a lot, but we’ve grown as a team to be able to realize that versatility is our strength.”

Despite ending the regular season on a sour note, the No. 2 seed Bruins can regain their form as they gear up for their debut at the Big Ten tournament in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Thursday.

UCLA will take on the winner of No. 10 seed Indiana and No. 7 seed Washington. The Bruins didn’t play the former this season but swept the latter from April 11 to 13.

“It’s important to remember that we need to stick together and be strong. A lot of the things we talked about this year were about being a family and being united,” Ramirez said. “Even in the toughest of times, remembering that we have each other going into this conference tournament.”