| Softball |
|---|
| UCLA — 18 |
| Illinois — 0 |
No. 10 UCLA softball left no doubt Sunday.
The Bruins (37-5, 16-2 Big Ten) overwhelmed Illinois (11-31, 2-12) in an 18-0 run-rule win at Eichelberger Field, closing out a three-game sweep in emphatic fashion. UCLA outscored the Fighting Illini 45-1 across the series and continued a season-long trend of explosive offense.
UCLA wasted no time setting the tone. In the first inning alone, the Bruins sent 10 batters to the plate and scored seven runs. Sophomore second baseman Kaniya Bragg started the surge with a two-run single, and redshirt freshman shortstop Aleena Garcia followed with a three-run home run. Sophomore catcher Sofia Mujica and freshman center field Jolyna Lamar added back-to-back solo shots to cap the inning.
That early outburst was only the beginning.
The Bruins matched their seven-run first with another seven-run frame in the fourth. Lamar doubled to open the inning and later scored on an error before senior right fielder and first baseman, Megan Grant, crushed a two-run home run. Garcia struck again with her second three-run homer of the game, giving her a career-high six RBIs. Junior pinch hitter and left fielder, Soo-Jin Berry, added an RBI single as UCLA stretched the lead to 14-0.
UCLA tacked on four more runs in the fifth to trigger the run rule. Sophomore pinch hitter and second baseman Mia Phillips drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and redshirt junior right fielder Rylee Pinedo added an RBI double. Mujica delivered the final blow with a two-run homer — her second of the game.
The Bruins finished with 18 runs on 18 hits, with seven players recording multiple hits. Garcia and Mujica each hit two home runs, while Grant added her 29th of the season. Pinedo and Berry provided a spark off the bench, both tallying multi-hit performances.
In the circle, sophomore pitcher Brynne Nally turned in her strongest outing of the year. She tossed a five-inning complete-game shutout, allowing five hits, walking one and striking one out, earning the win.
UCLA has now recorded 22 run-rule victories this season and continues to pile up runs at a historic pace, eclipsing 15 runs for the 12th time this year.
The Bruins return home next to face Cal Baptist at Easton Stadium on Tuesday, April 14, at 6 p.m. PST.
