UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez heaps praise on pitcher Kaitlyn Terry vs. Grand Canyon

The 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament has gotten underway this week and on Friday night, the UCLA Bruins are taking on the Grand Canyon Antelopes, a team that has become more and more familiar with fans over the years thanks to their appearances in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

UCLA jumped all over the Antelopes early, gaining a 6-0 advantage after the first few innings. In the middle of the game, Bruins head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez touched on a number of topics.

The Bruins have moved assistant Lisa Fernandez to coach their offense this season. “You know, the best part about working with Kirk [Walker] and Lisa is the versatility that we all have to be able to work with all different parts. To be honest, we all work with catchers, we all work with hitters. But putting Lisa in charge has been a big part of why this team has been able to come through late in the game. There’s a lot of studying done from Will, Bubba, and Lisa. [They’ve] done a really great job of being able to make a game-plan, make adjustments, and we’ve had a lot of different pitchers. I’m really proud of their ability to adjust and that really starts at the top with Lisa,” Inouye-Perez noted.

The Bruins scored in every inning early on in the game, jumping out to a commanding advantage. Friday night marked the first postseason experience for their star freshman pitcher, Kaitlyn Terry. “You know, we’ve been waiting for this moment. Our goal was to be the best at the end. I think the exciting part for us is KT is no longer just a freshman. She’s gaining great experience. The team is playing behind her. And you know, we’ve been pumped. We’ve been fired up for this moment right now. The game’s not over. You’ve gotta respect the game, but I love what we’re doing so far,” Inouye-Perez explained.

Through four innings on Friday night, Kaitlyn Terry fired 64 pitches, striking out four batters. She showed why she was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year this season. And the Bruins finished the game off in style with a 9-0 run-rule victory after five innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Sharlize Palacios blasted a two-run home run which ended up being the nail in the coffin for Grand Canyon, putting the run rule into effect. She finished the game with two home runs and five RBIs.