ASU Softball: No. 6 Sun Devils face tremendous challenge in final series against No. 1 UCLA

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

No. 6 Arizona State softball closes out the regular season with a tough test against No. 1 UCLA at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles this weekend, May 10-12.

This final three-game series  will bring the best out these two top-tiered softball squads as ASU (42-9) and UCLA (48-3) have been fierce Pac-12 competitors this season, seeking to advance and earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

UCLA holds the top spot in the nation with 48 wins and in the Pac-12 with 18 wins and three losses in conference play. Those three losses are their only three of the season, twice in Oregon and once against Stanford.

The Sun Devils are not far behind the Bruins with a 15-6 Pac-12 record. The Devils are within reach of the first place spot, however a sweep on the road against the No. 1 team in the nation will be a challenging task.

The Sun Devils go to L.A. with their heads high maintaining a seven-game win streak after sweeping Utah in Salt Lake City and Stanford for their final home series of the regular season.

The Bruins ride an even hotter streak into the series, winning 14 consecutive contests, with sweeps over Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma State, South Dakota, and California. The last time UCLA lost a game was against the Stanford Cardinal at Easton Stadium April 8.

UCLA is one of the most decorated softball teams in the nation, leading all schools in NCAA championships with 11 and Women’s College World Series appearances with 28. Since 1982, the Bruins have won the WCWS 12 times, the most recent championship coming in 2010.

Under Head Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez’s 12 years of supervision and management, the Bruins have made the NCAA Regionals every season. Last year, UCLA advanced to the WCWS for the third season in a row, collecting an overall record of 48-15 and finishing third in the Pac-12 Conference (16-8).

With their dominance in the league, the Bruins have been tough task for the Sun Devils to handle. UCLA has won the last six games against ASU, claiming victory in 10 out of the last 15 matchups.

In the last series between these two squads, the Bruins swept the Sun Devils at Farrington Stadium, including two double-digit wins. In that series, then-freshmen “G” Juarez pitched the final game of the series, giving up four runs on seven hits in two innings. In the three games, the Sun Devils struggled to keep up with UCLA’s rampant offense, tallying only three runs in each contest compared to the combined 29 runs for the Bruins in the series.

Sizing the Competition

It is no secret that the Bruins are loaded with a talented roster of bats and arms. They have had a great recruiting class over the last two decades with their prominent success of advancing to the WCWS on a consistent basis. This year, UCLA’s offense has been scorching hot, maintaining the second highest batting average (.347) in the nation only behind Boise State. The Bruins also hold the third highest on-base percentage (.420) and the second highest slugging percentage (.537) among all softball teams.

Among the Pac-12, UCLA possesses four of the top six hitters with the highest batting averages: redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan, sophomore Bubba Nickles, senior Kylee Perez and redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia, who not only hits well, but pitches marvelously too.

Along with these four superior hitters, the Bruins have eight players batting over .300. At the leadoff spot, Perez sets the table nicely with 65 hits, 17 walks, 10 stolen bases and 55 runs scored. Her sister, freshman Briana Perez, follows in the No. 2 position, hitting .378 alongside 51 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 33 runs batted in. The beef from the Bruins offense comes from Jordan, who leads not only the Bruins, but also the Pac-12 with a .476 batting average, 71 hits, 61 RBIs and a .520 on-base percentage. Rounding out the heart of the order, Garcia bats .379 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs.

The Pac-12 is known for its proficient pitching and like the Sun Devils, the Bruins lie on  top of the pack. UCLA holds a 1.76 earned run average, 28 complete games, 16 shutouts, four saves and a .195 opponent’s batting average. As mentioned earlier, not only does Rachel Garcia hit for power, but she puts power into pitching in the circle. The second-year starter has posted a team-leading 19 wins, 1.01 ERA, 12 complete games, seven shutouts and 197 strikeouts.

Alongside Garcia, freshman Holly Azevedo and seniors Johanna Grauer and Selina Ta’amilo provide depth for the Bruins’ starting rotation that holds the fourth lowest earned run average in the Pac-12 conference. Azevedo has put up a 2.09 ERA in over 100 innings of work, with 10 complete games, four shutouts, and 75 strikeouts in her first season wearing light blue and gold. Grauer and Ta’amilo close out rest of the pitching staff with sub-three ERAs and hold a combined 14 wins, 19 games started and six complete games.

It will be a tough pitching duel all weekend for the Sun Devils as they line up Juarez and Breanna Macha to take on the challenge on the road. ASU will expect some tightly-contested matchups with scoring coming at a minimum. From sharp defense to clutch hitting to dynamic pitching, every single moment on the field will contribute to who stands tall at the end of it all.

Who’s Hot for The Sun Devils?

The Sun Devils head into L.A. with a couple of key hot bats that payed big dividends in the sweep over Stanford during the final home series of the regular season last week.

Freshman Denae Chatman came up big in securing the sweep over the Cardinal with two clutch home runs late in the contests. Chatman went 4-for-8 in the series with two runs scored and four runs driven in. Although she has only played 16 games this season, Chatman is now hitting .293 with eight runs scored, five home runs and 16 RBIs. Without her pop, the Sun Devils were in danger of falling to a struggling Stanford squad at home in front of a packed Farrington Stadium.

Nevertheless, Chatman saved the series and extended ASU’s winning streak to seven and ended their homestand on a happy note. Chatman looks to continue her power surge against a sturdy Bruin pitching staff

Sophomore Jade Gortarez also has been hot recently, going 5-for-12 in the last four games with two runs scored, three RBIs and a huge two-run triple against Stanford that sparked the 8-0 victory in the second game of the series. Native of Riverside, the everyday shortstop has been a consistent threat at the dish this season, batting .305 with 38 runs scored, seven big flies, 10 doubles and 34 RBIs.

In the circle, senior Breanna Macha wheeled and dealed in her final regular season series at home, collecting two wins against the Cardinal to give her 13 victories on the year. Participating in all three games, Macha perfectly pitched a combined 6.1 innings, allowing no runs and striking out eight Stanford hitters.

Along with Juarez, Macha has been a cornerstone for the Sun Devils success this season as they battle it out in what will be the toughest challenge of the season with the top-ranked Bruins, who have only lost one contest at home all season.

The Sun Devils and Bruins face off in the last weekend tilt of regular season. The series opener begins Thursday, May 10, at 7 p.m. The second game is scheduled for Friday, May 11, at 7 p.m. The rubber match of the series and the 2018 regular season comes to a close Saturday, May 12, at noon.

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