UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez knew the Bruins had their biggest game as it opened up the Women’s College World Series with a 4-1 win over Alabama.
Well, every game is the biggest at this stage. Jordan Woolery was ready for the moment as she smacked a three-run home run in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Inouye-Perez talked about how crucial it was to get win No. 1, setting up a date with Oklahoma.
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“I mean, Game 1 of every post-season tournament is the biggest,” Inouye-Perez said. “The nerves, all those things are just a factor. I remember being a player. I remember what it feels like to feel like, Whoa. It seems really easy to watch, slow it down and get underneath the drop ball. Everyone is saying that. The energy, there’s a lot of energy that every player is feeling.
“We say this all the time. The team that settles in and plays their game is going to give themselves the best chance. We’ve pulled together a lot. I credit my coaches. They did a great job of pulling them in every inning. Normally we let them talk about it. We pulled them in, stayed with them, stayed very positive. It’s not a time to be captain obvious on “This is what you need to do.”
Alabama tied things up in the fifth inning as it looked like UCLA couldn’t pull away. That’s when Inouye-Perez knew her squad would come through i the clutch.
“They stayed very positive and hopeful on what we’re going to do,” Inouye-Perez said. “We knew we had the opportunity to throw the last punch. There’s familiar territory. This team is battle-tested. We’ve been behind. We’ve had to find ways to be able to get on the board so they can come out and swing it. We did that in the first. We didn’t square up anything. It wasn’t great.
“But their ability to settle in. Even Maya, finding a way to be able to get on base. She took two low pitches, able to find ways to get on base. Those are the little things that add up to the big things in those moments.”
Getting it done in the end is the motto for this team. But now, Inouye-Perez and crew get the three-time defending champions.
“This team, again, we have found a way to win,” Inouye-Perez said. “As things get later in a game, we have the ability to make adjustments. That’s something that I think what you need to do, especially at this time of year.”
The post Kelly Inouye-Perez on Game 1 win: ‘Game 1 of every postseason is the biggest’ appeared first on On3.
