UCLA sweeps season series against Arizona softball with another shutout

After being no-hit by Holly Azevedo on Sunday, the Arizona Wildcats were dangerously close to being no-hit by Megan Faraimo again on Monday. Faraimo pitched five innings of one-hit softball on the way to a 7-0 Bruins win.

Faraimo wasn’t just effective in the circle. She also put the Bruins on the board with a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning.

It was all UCLA would need, but they were more than happy to add to it. In the bottom of the fourth, Faraimo was on base when freshman Jayla Castro hit her second career home run to tack on two more runs.

The Bruins added one more run in the bottom of the fourth, then scored a seventh on a fielding error by Carlie Scupin in the bottom of the fifth.

After Madi Elish got the second out via the strikeout, catcher Sharlize Palacios tried to make a quick throw to get the runner at first. With Maya Brady on third, it was a ball that Palacios probably should have put in her back pocket. When it got past Scupin, Brady scored easily.

Devyn Netz started the game in the circle for Arizona. She got through the first inning with help from solid defense from Amber Toven at shortstop. Things got difficult when she had to face the middle of the order in the second, though.

Netz gave up six runs, all earned, on six hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. She dropped to 8-3 on the season, adding two losses this weekend.

Elish entered for Netz after three runs scored in the bottom of the fourth. She got the final out of the inning, then finished the game. She gave up one unearned run in 2.1 innings on three hits and no walks and struck out one.

The only hit Arizona managed against Faraimo was a bunt from Jasmine Perezchica in the top of the fourth. That was followed by a foul out, a pop-up, and a strikeout.

Lauren Shaw entered the game for Faraimo in the top of the fifth. The freshman lefty walked Izzy Pacho to start the inning, but the batters that followed continued to swing aggressively. Pinch runner Blaise Biringer didn’t move from first. Shaw got two foul outs and a strikeout.

Singles from Allie Skaggs and Pacho put two on with one out in the top of the seventh, but Arizona wasn’t able to scratch a run across. They did not score against any of the UCLA pitchers in the three-game series.

The Wildcats now return home for their Pac-12 home opener and rivalry series against ASU.