The No. 7 UCLA softball team won their second straight against the No. 22 Washington Huskies with a 7-2 outing at the Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Wash. on Saturday.
Unlike the Bruins first win against the Huskies, this time Washington never threatened a comeback. Instead, UCLA's batters got off to an explosive start in the opening innings and the Bruin pitching staff shutting out the Huskies over the final five innings.
Washington did get on the board first, with their first hit of the game being a double that led to a runner scoring in the bottom of the first inning.
UCLA responded with a two-run homer by redshirt freshman infielder Aleena Garcia in the top of the second, but Washington knocked out a homer of their own in the bottom of the second to tie the game up heading into the third inning.
UCLA took over the game in the top of the third with home runs by sophomore outfielder Rylee Slimp and senior outfielder Jordan Woolery. Later in the inning, the bases were loaded and a fielding error allowed two more Bruins to slip home to put them up 6-2.
Despite both teams getting runners on base, the defense tightened up and neither team got any of their runners home in the fourth, fifth or sixth innings.
UCLA's senior utility Megan Grant blasted the Bruins last home run deep into center field to put UCLA up 7-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. The Huskies singular hit of the inning was for a single as the Bruins roared past the Huskies for their second win of the series.
The Bruins will go for the series sweep with the finale against the Huskies having an anticipated start time of 1 p.m. PT on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA defeats Washington Huskies with four runs in the third inning
