New talent emerges for women’s golf

UCLA women’s golf has consistently relied upon the experience of junior Bronte Law this season, with the Bruins’ team score often anchored around Law’s strong individual performance.

Last weekend, however, was a different story. A freshman duo of Lilia Vu and Bethany Wu scored well at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Georgia on Sunday.

While their efforts weren’t enough to overcome No. 5 Alabama – UCLA lost 3-2 in the championship match – the young players’ performances showcased the Bruins’ depth as the team heads into their final competition of the regular season this weekend.

Weekly awards

After wins against Cal State Fullerton and No. 4 Oregon, the Pac-12 announced a pair of awards for UCLA softball.

Coming back from a leg injury, redshirt junior pitcher Paige McDuffee held the Ducks to a single run over 58 pitches in Sunday’s deciding game. McDuffee had a 0.72 ERA in Eugene, Oregon, and retired the last 14 batters she faced to earn Pitcher of the Week.

Freshman of the Week winner Brianna Tautalafua tallied six hits for UCLA including three home runs in an upset of Oregon. The freshman scored five times and batted in six more runs to earn the first weekly honor of her career.

This is the first award for either player and UCLA’s first Freshman of the Week honor. The Bruins have earned four Pac-12 weekly awards this season including Player of the Week honors for junior Delaney Spaulding (March 14) and sophomore Kylee Perez (Feb. 23).