Rachel GarciaRachel Garcia

Rachel Garcia went 6-for-7 with three homers and seven RBI at the plate and 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 20 strikeouts in the circle.

Garcia Named Pac-12 Player, Pitcher of the Week

Softball

Garcia is the third player in conference history to earn both awards in the same week.


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SAN FRANCISCO - Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia earned a pair of honors on Monday, as she was named Pac-12 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week. Garcia became just the third player in league history to be named Pac-10/12 Player and Pitcher of the Week in the same week, joining UCLA assistant coach Lisa Fernandez (April 12, 1993) and Oregon State's Tarrah Beyster (April 13, 1998).

At the plate and in the circle, Garcia helped the fourth-ranked Bruins to three wins at #11 Arizona, going 6-for-7 (.857) with three home runs and seven runs batted in, as well as 2-0 with a 1.24 earned run average and 20 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.
 
In game one on Friday (April 13), Garcia went 2-for-2 with two walks and three RBI, posting her first-ever, two-homer game. She hit a solo homer in her first at-bat (second inning) and a two-run shot in the sixth to give the Bruins the lead for good. In the circle, Garcia tossed four innings of relief, striking out five and giving up two runs and five hits.
 
On Saturday (April 14), Garcia picked up the victory in the circle, striking out six in three innings of shutout relief. She allowed just one hit. At the plate, she had three hits, including an RBI single. In the series finale on Sunday (April 15), Garcia struck out nine in 4 1/3 frames of shutout relief to earn another victory, giving up only two hits. With the bat, she hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and after doing so, was walked her next three times, including twice intentionally.

Garcia, who was named NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week on Feb. 27, earned the first Pac-12 Player of the Week nod of her career and the fourth Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award (Feb. 21, April 11 and April 25, 2017). The Bruins have earned seven conference weekly honors this season (Aaliyah Jordan, Freshman of the Week, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 13 and April 2 and Briana Perez, Freshman of the Week, Feb. 13).

The Bruins open up a three-game home series against #1 Washington on Friday at 5 p.m. at Easton Stadium. The game will air on Pac-12 Networks.