University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
4's Up: Carda Named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for Fourth Time
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SAN FRANCISCO - Senior Ally Carda made some more history on Monday when she was named Pac-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time this season.
It was the seventh career honor for Carda, which is the third most in UCLA history, behind only Keira Goerl (11) and Anjelica Selden (10). Carda joined another illustrious Bruin group of hurlers who have earned at least four POW awards in one season: Lisa Fernandez (four in 1993), Goerl (five in 2002) and Selden (four in 2005).
Carda received her first two awards this season in back-to-back weeks on March 9 and 16 to become the first Bruin since Selden (2006) to earn consecutive weekly honors from the conference, and then won again on April 20. It is the 62nd Pac-10/12 Pitcher of the Week award for UCLA.
Along with Carda's four Pitcher of the Week recognitions, the Bruins have six weekly honors this year with sophomores Gabrielle Maurice (Feb. 16) and Delaney Spaulding (March 9) earning Player of the Week awards.
Carda picked up all three victories in the seventh-ranked Bruins’ sweep of #16 Arizona last weekend, striking out 18 in 12 innings and posting a 1.75 earned run average with just three runs and eight hits allowed against the potent Wildcat offense.
Her 23rd victory of the season came in Friday’s win, as she struck out seven in five strong innings, giving up a run, five hits and two walks. She had a 1-2-3 frame in the first, struck out the side in the third and a pair in the fifth.
On Saturday, Carda picked up win number 24 in relief to extend the Bruins’ win streak to 12 with five innings of shutout ball. She struck out seven more to pass Lisa Fernandez for fourth on UCLA’s all-time strikeout list. Carda allowed only two baserunners on a two-out single in the fifth and a leadoff error in the seventh. She struck out one in every inning, fanning two each in the third and fifth.
Carda reached 25 wins with another relief stint on Sunday to get UCLA’s victory streak to 13. She fanned four in two frames, giving up two runs, two hits and one walk.
Carda is 25-4 on the season and has a 1.97 earned run average, having struck out 245 in 174 innings.
The Bruins close out the regular season next weekend at #23 Arizona State on Thursday at 5 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. All three games will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.