The college softball season at the DI level kicked off en masse this week and Saturday saw No. 5 ranked UCLA win its two games at the 2025 Mark Campbell Invitational by a collection 17-0 in two evening games.

A week ago, we did a preview of the Invitational but, most importantly, we remembered the great man for whom the event was started and what he meant to softball (scroll down below to see the background on Coach Cambell).

Here are the result from Saturday:

• 10:30 am: Nevada 4, Cal Baptist 0
• 1:00 pm: Cal Baptist 9, Lehigh 0
• 4:00 pm: UCLA 8, Nevada 0 (6 innings)
• 6:30 pm: UCLA 9, Lehigh 0 (5 innings)

Here are in-depth recaps of the pair of UCLA wins courtesy of UCLABruins.com:

The No. 5 UCLA softball team recorded two mercy-rule wins over Nevada, 8-0 in six innings, and Lehigh, 9-0 in five innings, Saturday at the Mark Campbell Invitational hosted at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, Calif.

The Bruins (4-0) have opened the 2025 season with four straight run-rule victories and a total scoring margin of 34-0.

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Game One – UCLA 8, Nevada 0 (6 inn.)

Freshman pitcher Addisen Fisher picked up her first career win in her first start as a Bruin in game one versus Nevada. The Bend, Ore. product struck out four over 4.0 innings and allowed six baserunners by way of four hits and two walks.

Fisher found early trouble with two Wolf Pack (3-1) runners reaching base in each of the first two innings. After Nevada led off the second with a walk and double, Fisher struck out two in a row and closed the inning with a flyout to left field. She ended her outing with a three-up, three-down fourth inning with two more K’s.

Nevada threatened again with a runner on second base and no outs in the third inning. Shortstop Aleena Garcia erased the possibility of a Wolf Pack run by fielding a ground ball and tagging out the baserunner between second and third base. The next play, Rylee Slimp made a diving catch towards the left field foul line to prevent extra bases. Catcher Sofia Mujica capped UCLA’s impressive defensive display by throwing out her first runner attempting to steal in a Bruin uniform.

Senior utility Savannah Pola brought home UCLA’s first run of the game in the first inning with a double to right field to score Jessica Clements from first base. Pola later came around to score on a wild pitch.

Junior infielder Jordan Woolery left the yard for the first time this season and 21st time in her career with a shot to right center in the third inning, pushing the lead to 3-0. Two frames later, Pola recorded her second RBI base hit of the day to bring home Slimp from second base.

Pola leads the team with a .636 batting average (7-for-11) in week one.

The Bruins doubled their lead with a four-run sixth inning to mercy-rule walk-off on the Wolf Pack. A single by Seneca Curo and walk to Kaniya Bragg teed up Garcia for an RBI double down the left field line. One batter later, Bragg’s pinch runner Lauren Hatch scored on a passed ball to make it a 6-0 UCLA advantage.

A walk to Slimp brought Clements to the plate who recorded the game-winning hit on a single through the right side. Clements is batting 6-for-12 with three RBI through her first four games as a Bruin.

Taylor Tinsley entered from the bullpen in the fifth inning and struck out four of the eight batters she faced to earn the fourth save of her career.

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Game Two – UCLA 9, Lehigh 0 (5 inn.)

Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Terry took a perfect game into the fifth inning before finishing with a one-hit shutout versus Lehigh. Terry totaled nine strikeouts and faced just three over the minimum (18 batters).

The Mountain Hawks (1-3) recorded their first three baserunners on consecutive plays in the fifth inning: two straight UCLA errors and a high chopper to shortstop.

The Bruins exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the mercy rule into effect, heading into the fifth with a 9-0 lead. Megan Grant and Curo hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to become the first UCLA duo to do so since Sharlize Palacios and Grant versus DePaul on March 2, 2024.

Three UCLA players – Bragg, Clements and Pola – recorded two hits versus Lehigh. Bragg’s knocks were the first of her collegiate career.

*****

Cal Baptist Splits Pair with Nevada and Lehigh

Recaps below courtesy of CBU Lancers softball page

California Baptist softball took on Nevada and Lehigh today in more doubleheader action in Orange County, this time as part of the Mark Campbell Classic in Irvine. CBU couldn’t find their swing in the day’s opening game, losing 4-0 to Nevada, but couldn’t be stopped in game two as they run-ruled Lehigh 9-0 in five innings. The Lancers now stand at 2-2 on the young season with one more game this weekend.

GAME ONE: NEVADA 4 – CBU 0

Saturday’s opener got off to a fast start for the Wolfpack, who sent a three-run shot over the left field wall to take an early lead they would never concede. Nevada added one insurance run to the scoreboard in the fifth.

Five Lancers claimed a hit in the early game, including Stevie Robison and Ashlee Annett, who also worked a free pass via walks. Opportunities were there for the Lancers, specifically when Annett tripled in the second inning with just one out, and Priscilla Estrada also tripled in the third with two away, but the CBU lineup could not complete their round trips.

GAME TWO: CBU 9 – LEHIGH 0 (5)

Game two was a completely different story at the plate for the Lancers as Robison, Kalena Burns, and Lexi Lopez all had multi-hit games, highlighted by Burns’ two homers in the third and fourth innings. For Burns, she now has 13 career home runs as a Lancer, growing her Division I era record with every blast.

Kate Penberthy kept her hot start to 2025 going with two more RBI against the Hawks, bumping her team-leading total to eight in just four games. Lexi Lopez showed out in her debut in the starting lineup, as the right fielder went 2-2 with a run scored, an RBI, a double, and a walk taken. Her run scored was extra impressive as she and Malachy Russell-Millen pulled off a double steal in the bottom of the third inning, resulting in her first career stolen base being a swipe of home.

In the circle, freshman Annika Hollingsworth picked up her first collegiate win against the Mountain Hawks, fanning four in four innings of work.

*****

Remembering The Great Mark Campbell… & The Invitational Today That Bears His Name (Jan. 30, 2025)

Originally published Jan. 30, 2025 on Line Drive Soft all

This is Brentt Eads of Line Drive Softball.

I’m a huge believer that we should never forget the great ones who’ve had an impact in our lives.

When I got into softball many years ago, one of the coaches I quickly grew to respect was Mark Campbell, who at the time was a high school coach at Pacifica (Calif.) High and one of the early leaders of the OC Batbusters, which were founded by Gary Haning and taken over in the Fall of 2023 by Campbell and Mike Stith.

It continues to this day to be one of the most distinguished travel ball organizations in fastpitch softball.

Mark had a gruff exterior but was the nicest person you could ever meet and was a championship coach who won titles at the high school and club levels.

Thus it was a shock to many of us in the softball community when he passed WAY too soon in 2019.

I remember first hearing the news and talking to his fellow Batbusters coach Mike Stith, who continues to be a successful and positive force in softball day.

Coach Campbell had entered the hospital on Sunday afternoon, March 17, 2019, with internal bleeding and on Monday, March 18, 2019, Stith put up a social media post that, frankly, stunned those of us in our sport:

I spoke to Mike at that time as he was driving to the hospital to comfort the Campbell family and asked him what he’d forever member about his friend and fellow coach.

“When you’re in our (softball) world,” Mike began, “there’s not a lot of people you can fully trust. With Mark you could.

We’re very similar in that we don’t like being the center of attention and he was a hard ass, but that’s why our players did what they did.

We expected more of them and they of themselves and ultimately that’s who we are.”

The list of Mark’s accomplishments were impressive, for sure, as he was respected as one of the greats in softball at both the high school and club levels:

• Head Coach, Orange County Batbusters 14U, 2013 – 2019.
• PGF National Champions 2015
• Team Mizuno 14U Head Coach 2013
• PGF National Champions 2013
• Head Coach Pacifica High School 2007-2019
• C.I.F Division 1 Champions 2014.
• Empire League Champions 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
• Head Coach Victory USA 10’s 12’s 14’s 2000-2005.
• ASA National Champions 2001, 2003, 2005
• Head Coach Victory USA 2006-2011.
• ASA National Champions 2007, 2009, 2011.

Three years later, Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) began a tournament that continues to this day… watch this video posted in 2022 highlighting the first year of the Mark Campbell Invitational:

This year, in 2025, the Invitation will take place for the fourth consecutive time, and will be held a week from Saturday (Feb. 8, 2025)

The teams that will be competing at DeAnna Manning Stadium in Bill Barber Park, Irvine, Calif. are:

• 10:30 am: Cal Baptist vs. Nevada
• 1:00 pm: Cal Baptist vs. Lehigh
• 4:00 pm: UCLA vs. Nevada
• 6:30 pm: UCLA vs. Lehigh

In an email sent out earlier today, the event’s producer sent out an email that shared the details of the one-day slate of games at this year’s Mark Campbell Invitational:

“The Mark Campbell Invitational is more than just a premier softball event—it’s a tribute to the incredible legacy of Mark Campbell, a beloved coach, mentor, and advocate for the sport.

His passion for softball and dedication to athletes left an indelible mark on the community. As we gear up for the February 8, 2025, event, we honor his impact and commitment to excellence. Join us in celebrating his legacy through the fierce competition!”

Click Here to get more info on the Invitational and Click HERE to purchase tickets.

On the event’s website, it describes perfectly the man being honored for now… and hopefully forever:

“A well-respected retired police officer/detective in Southern California, Mark entered the softball world coaching his daughters in 1995.  He was a highly regarded championship softball coach in both the travel ball and high school circuits.Mark won numerous championships.

Mark was also co-owner of the OC Batbusters and played an important role in development of the young female athletes.  Mark’s sudden passing in early 2019 was mourned across many communities of people who had the joy of knowing him both in law enforcement and softball.”

On a personal note, I will always remember Mark as a leader on and off the field and truly a great man who should forever be honored for what he brought to the sport.

Here’s a video which gives more insights to who Mark was and how he did so much in fastpitch softball.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball