| Softball |
|---|
| Michigan St. — 0 |
| UCLA — 10 |
Oftentimes, collegiate sports can develop infatuations with young prospects and new transfers ready to shake things up.
But for No. 7 UCLA softball (23-3, 4-0 Big Ten), it’s the seniors amidst their fourth year in Westwood who are leading the charge for the Bruins.
UCLA notched a 5-inning, 10-0 victory over Michigan State (13-11, 0-1) via mercy rule on Friday evening at Easton Stadium. The Bruins extended their winning streak to 17 consecutive games, including 18 straight with a home run, to open the weekend series against the Spartans.
Senior right fielder Megan Grant made history as the fastest player in UCLA history to reach 20 home runs in a season, accomplishing the feat in a mere 26 games. Grant, who has reached base in every game this season, rose to the top of the NCAA home run leaderboard with her second inning line drive over the right field wall.
Senior starting pitcher Taylor Tinsley twirled another shutout, boasting a record of 13-2 after pitching five innings with three strikeouts and only allowing three hits.
As the only returning Bruin pitcher, Tinsley has revamped her arsenal by adding a potent drop ball to complement her riser. As head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez commented, “She threw more drop balls probably than she’s ever thrown in her career in one game…it’s exciting for us because she has new weapons going into her senior year.”
The final senior on the UCLA roster, first baseman Jordan Woolery, drove in her NCAA-leading 53rd and 54th RBIs with a two-run blast in the fourth inning, her 16th homer of the year. On the impact of the seniors’ leadership, freshman center fielder Jolyna Lamar said, “They’re definitely great role models, great people, great friends and they always set the tone for us and hold us to high standards, it’s just really inspiring to be around.”
Following a ceremonial first pitch from UCLA women’s basketball star Lauren Betts, the Bruins tagged the Spartans for four runs in the bottom of the frame, providing an early cushion for Tinsley.
With support of athletes such as Betts, and an abundance of youth softball players in the stands, Tinsley spoke to the importance of setting a standard for women’s sports at UCLA, “We all want to set a great example for these young girls, ‘cause we were them at one point, looking up at the older girls. So it’s really special just to give back in that way.”
Freshman third baseman Bri Alejandre opened the scoring by knocking an infield hit off Spartan starter Jacey Schuler with the bases loaded. Redshirt freshman shortstop Aleena Garcia walked in the second run before redshirt junior catcher Alexis Ramirez smoked a two run single through the third base gap for runs three and four.
A barrage of deep balls began after the first inning. Following Grant’s two-run shot in the second inning, redshirt junior designated player Ramsey Suarez mashed her sixth home run of the year to left field in the third inning. The Bruins crossed the eight run mercy threshold in the fourth inning after Woolery’s homer and a solo bomb from sophomore second baseman Kaniya Bragg capped the scoring at 10 runs.
As conference play begins to heat up, Inouye-Perez preached the importance of consistency and “going for the jugular” in game two. The Bruins will try to continue their streak on Saturday night, March 14, at 6:00 p.m. PST at Easton Stadium.
