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Last weekend, UCLA softball traveled to Arizona State, sweeping the Sun Devils and winning all three games due to the mercy rule. Tonight, the Bruins host the Oregon Ducks in the first of three at Easton Stadium in Westwood.
Last Time Out
On Sunday, Holly Azevedo pitched a five-inning mercy rule shortened complete game, allowing five runs on seven hits and striking out three.
UCLA started off with a bang when Briana Perez hit a lead-off home run to right field. Aaliyah Jordan came up and picked up a two-out single and Taylor Pack walked to give the Bruins a pair of runners on. Paige Halstead hit a 2-RBI double to right center that scored both Pack and Jordan and made it 3-0, Bruins.
Things really got going when UCLA started off the second with yet another home run. This time, it was from Kinsley Washington. In all, the Bruins sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning and they score 8 runs to take an 11-0 lead.
In the third, Rachel Garcia held out for a one-out walk, and Jacqui Prober came in to pinch-run. That brought up Jordan who hit a two-run homer to center as part of a five-run third inning and UCLA led 16-0 after three.
Arizona State finally got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the third and one more in the bottom of the fifth, but it still wasn’t enough to avoid the mercy rule. The final score at the end of fifth innings was 16-5, UCLA.
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks aren’t having a great season this year. They are 16-19 overall and 1-8 in the Pac-12. They split a doubleheader on Sunday, winning their opener against Pitt before losing to Missouri, 8-0 in five innings. There’s no real reason to believe the Ducks are going to pull off an upset as their best batter is only hitting a .333. Their top pitcher, Jordan Dail, has an ERA of 3.53 and is 13-8 overall this season.
Tonight’s game will be a bit on the chillier side by the time the game starts, but it should be a clear night with sunset about 20 minutes after first pitch.
This is your UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks Softball game thread.
Go Bruins!