No. 12 UCLA softball picked up a nonconference win over Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, defending a tight lead for seven innings in a close matchup before breaking the score in the seventh inning to win 5-0. Read more...

Photo: Gabrielle Maurice had an RBI single to open up the scoring in the second inning. (Hannah Johnson/Daily Bruin)

UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez didn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of playing a midweek game. “I think midweeks are always a challenge,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s actually not always a great thing. Read more...

Photo: In last week’s midweek contest against Cal State Fullerton, senior shortstop Delaney Spaulding went 2-for-4 with a run scored. UCLA will face Cal State Northridge – another midweek opponent – Wednesday. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)

UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez preaches to her team to win every inning. And when all the innings were added up from this weekend’s series against California, the result was a sweep. Read more...

Photo: Senior outfielder Gabrielle Maurice blasted a shot to left-center that almost cleared the wall. Even though it didn’t, it was good enough for a walk-off double. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)

UCLA softball will be looking into a mirror this weekend against California. Both have similar records and both are coming off midweek, nonconference victories – UCLA against Cal State Fullerton and Cal over Sacramento State. Read more...

Photo: UCLA got through its midweek matchup without putting redshirt freshman Rachel Garcia in the circle, which could help them against Cal, who used its primary pitcher in its Tuesday game. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)

UCLA softball picked up a win Tuesday, and found a way to do it without Rachel Garcia in the circle. The redshirt freshman has thrown over 40 percent of the innings for the Bruins this season, and coach Kelly Inouye-Perez called her staff’s ability to give Garcia the night off “huge.” “As you can see, we’re heavily relying on Rachel, but we do have a staff,” Inouye-Perez said. Read more...

Photo: Brianna Tautalafua went 4-for-4, homered twice and picked up four RBIs in Tuesday’s win. The sophomore third baseman is now batting .302 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs on the season. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)

Pac-12 play is a grind. Each weekend brings another game with a school from the conference of champions. But this week, Cal State Fullerton (23-18, 6-3 Big West) will slip into No. Read more...

Photo: UCLA softball will take a break from Pac-12 play Tuesday with a matchup against Cal State Fullerton. When those two teams met earlier this year at the Judi Garman classic, the Bruins won 2-0. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)

Fresh off impressive series victories against No. 12 Washington (31-10, 8-7 Pac-12) and No. 4 Oregon (37-4, 10-4), No. 8 UCLA softball was unable to get past unranked Oregon State (21-18, 4-8), splitting the final two games of its three-game set to lose the weekend’s series. Read more...

Photo: Junior first baseman Madeline Jelenicki went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in Friday’s win. In Saturday’s loss, she went 1-for-2 with a double and two walks. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)