The top two Pac-12 pitching staffs will take turns in the circle this weekend. No. 4 UCLA softball (33-5, 10-2 Pac-12) will face off against Oregon State (31-12, 7-8) for a three-game series in Corvallis starting Friday. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt junior pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo stands in the pitching circle during a game. Faraimo and No. 4 UCLA softball will take on the Pac-12’s second-best pitching staff in Oregon State in terms of earned run average for a three-game series from Friday to Sunday. (Kaiya Pomeroy-Tso/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Briana Perez set the tone early for the Bruins. The redshirt senior infielder reached base to begin the bottom of the first, stole second on a swinging strike from redshirt senior infielder Kinsley Washington and proceeded to steal third on the throwback from the Torero catcher. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt senior infielder Briana Perez swings her bat in a game against San Diego on Tuesday. Perez scored the first run in No. 4 UCLA softball’s win. (Patrick Shao/Daily Bruin)

The Bruins are taking a pause from Pac-12 play to face a familiar nonconference opponent. No. 4 UCLA softball (32-5, 10-2 Pac-12) will face San Diego (19-25, 4-1 WCC) in a Tuesday evening contest at Easton Stadium. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt senior infielder Kinsley Washington bunts the ball in a game against CSU Bakersfield on March 11. Washington and No. 4 UCLA softball will take on San Diego for a midweek matchup Tuesday. (Marc-Anthony Rosas/Daily Bruin)

In 2018, the Bruins won 25 games in a row before losing back-to-back Pac-12 contests. Before last weekend, the blue and gold hadn’t experienced either mark of success or failure since. Read more...

Photo: Members of UCLA softball huddle up before a game. The blue and gold had its 25-game winning streak snapped with a pair of shutout defeats against Stanford. (Kaiya Pomeroy-Tso/Daily Bruin senior staff)

After starting conference play 10-0 for the first time in program history, the Bruins were shut out for the first time all season. No. 3 UCLA softball (32-5, 10-2 Pac-12) defeated Stanford (26-10, 5-4) in the first contest of the three-game series Friday before being shut out in back-to-back contests Saturday and Sunday. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt junior pitcher/first baseman Megan Faraimo throws a pitch. Faraimo was credited with No. 3 UCLA softball’s lone win Friday in its three-game series against Stanford. (Kaiya Pomeroy-Tso/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Defense has been paramount to the Bruins’ success, according to redshirt junior outfielder Kelli Godin. “Coach I (Kelly Inouye-Perez) always tells us that defense wins championships and she’s right, it does,” Godin said. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt junior Kelli Godin looks to bunt the ball in No. 3 UCLA softball’s contest against then-No. 12 Oregon on April 1. Godin and the blue and gold will play at Stanford for a three-game series from Friday to Sunday. (Antonio Martinez/Daily Bruin staff)