UCLA Trounces California, 10-4, to Clinch Series Win
LOS ANGELES – Delanie Wisz matched her career-high hit total in a 4-for-4 effort as the No. 6 UCLA softball team defeated California, 10-4, at Easton Stadium on Friday night.
The Bruins (42-8, 18-5 Pac-12) recorded 12 hits, including five coming for extra-bases. Two of those extra-base hits were off the bat of Delanie Wisz in the form of a double and solo homer.
Wisz is 9-for-14 with three homers, nine RBI and a 1.429 slugging percentage in UCLA's last four games.
Faraimo took over pitching duties two outs into the second inning with two runners on and UCLA holding a one-run lead. On an 0-2 count, Makena Smith hit a three-run homer to left field to give California its first lead of the series.
The Bruins responded in the bottom half by doubling the Golden Bears' three spot with six runs. A Kinsley Washington single into right field scored Anna Vines to cut the deficit in half, 3-2. Briana Perez doubled in the very next at bat to put two runners in scoring position for UCLA's RBI leader Delanie Wisz.
Perez has now doubled in three straight games and has four consecutive multi-hit performances, going 9-for-15 and averaging an RBI per game in that stretch.
Wisz singled into left field to drive in her first two RBI of the night and recapture the lead, 4-3. Maya Brady recorded the Bruins' fourth base hit in a row in the inning to score Wisz. After a walk to Alyssa Garcia, Savannah Pola, who made her first start in the lineup since game three against Utah, doubled off the top of the left field wall to bring home the Bruins' last two runs of the inning, 7-3.
Pola is now tied with Perez for second in the Pac-12 with 14 doubles on the year.
HAVE A NIGHT, DELANIE WISZ! 💥
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/KRK3exyzIo#GoBruins | @delanieewisz pic.twitter.com/xmhPBMhfg7— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 14, 2022
Megan Faraimo and Lauren Shaw retired nine straight Golden Bears to end the game. Faraimo racked up six strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work on the way to earning her 19th win of the season, tying a season-high she set in 2021.
Maya Brady doubled in the top of the fourth inning following a single by Wisz to put two runners in scoring position with zero outs. Seneca Curo stepped to the plate next and drove in pinch runner Lauren Hatch on a fielder's choice to the shortstop. Faraimo hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to plate Brady.
Wisz tacked on an extra insurance run in the sixth with an opposite-field, line shot over the right field fence. She leads the team with 13 longballs and is one shy of tying her season-high for homers set in 2021.
Career Notes
Briana Perez made her 253nd career start for the Bruins which moves her into sole possession of second place on UCLA's career starts list, trailing only Stacey Nuveman with 264 career starts. Perez has started every one of her games since arriving to Westwood.
Briana Perez stretched her UCLA career runs scored record mark to 257 with her one run tonight.
With her two hits tonight, Briana Perez improves her career total to 317 which is five shy of tying Stacey Nuveman (322) for second-most on UCLA's career hits list.
Pac-12 Championship Clinching Scenarios
In order to clinch a share of the Pac-12 title, UCLA will need to defeat California and Arizona State will need to lose to Washington in its games tomorrow. UCLA has 11 conference championships in program history.