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The UCLA Softball team scored in each of the final four innings en route to a 7-3 victory over the Arizona Wildcats. The win gives the Bruins another series win and sets up another potential series sweep this evening.
Arizona got on the board first when Ivy Davis scored on a sacrifice fly by Alyssa Palomino in the bottom of the third.
Aaliyah Jordan led off the fourth for UCLA and she promptly doubled to left center. After Rachel Garcia flew out, Bubba Nickles hit a two-run blast to left to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
After Bruin starter Holly Azevedo gave up the game-tying run in the bottom half of the inning, Garcia came in to pitch and she shut down the Wildcats.
Meanwhile, the Bruin offense kept rolling. Kinsley Washington led off the fifth inning for UCLA and she reached base on a fielding error by Arizona starter Alyssa Denham. Kylee Perez drove Washington in on a single to left as the Bruins retook the lead, 3-2. Jordan gave UCLA runners on the corners for Garcia, who hit an RBI single through the left side and the Bruins took a 4-2 lead.
In the sixth, Brianna Tautalafua started things off for the Bruins with an infield single. Paige Halstead followed and she hit UCLA’s second two-run home run of the game as the Bruins took a 6-2 lead.
The Bruins added an insurance run in the seventh. In the bottom half of the inning, Bruin starter Holly Azevedo re-entered the circle and, while she did give up another run, the Wildcats were unable to make a serious threat and the Bruins won 7-3.
In all, Azevedo pitched 4 innings and gave up 5 hits and 3 runs, one of them earned, while walking one and striking out four. Rachel Garcia pitched the three critical middle innings to earn her 12th win of the season. Garcia struck out six and only allowed one hit.
This evening, the Bruins look to break out their brooms for the third time in conference play with a 5 pm game that will air on Pac-12 Networks National, Los Angeles and Arizona while also streaming on Pac-12.com.
This is your UCLA Bruins at Arizona Wildcats softball game 3 open thread.
Go Bruins!!!