Women's College World Series-bound UCLA romps past South Carolina in dominating performance
In Columbia, South Carolina, the UCLA softball team secured its passage to the Women's College World Series following a thrilling 5-0 victory over South Carolina in the Columbia Super Regional decider at Beckham Field. This marks the Bruins' 33rd appearance in the prestigious tournament.
UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez expressed her pride at the achievement, crediting her players' commitment to the process for overcoming a day-one setback and securing a spot in Oklahoma City.
Jordan Woolery, who kept UCLA's season alive with a walk-off home run in Game 2, continued her strong form with an RBI single in the first inning of the decisive game. Despite leaving runners on base during this inning, Kaitlyn Terry's impressive pitching performance kept the Game 1 deficit at bay.
Terry threw 5 2⁄3 innings of two-hit shutout ball, striking out four batters, and only allowing one runner into scoring position until the fifth inning. She and Saturday's starting pitcher, Taylor Tinsley, held South Carolina's potent offense at bay, allowing only four runs on 12 hits collectively during the two victories.
In the fifth inning, Woolery scored an insurance run with a timely infield single, and UCLA held on despite a nerve-wracking sixth inning. South Carolina threatened, putting the tying run at the plate, but the Bruins' strong defense, led by a clutch catch by right fielder Liesl Osteen, kept the Gamecocks at bay.
Tinsley then pitched a scoreless sixth, and UCLA added three runs in the seventh to put the game beyond reach. Rylee Slimp and Alexis Ramirez provided the crucial RBIs to seal the victory.
As for the power duo of Woolery and Megan Grant, their impressive performance continues. With 13 RBIs in the regional and a combined 161 RBIs for the season, the tandem will be a force to reckon with in the Women's College World Series.
The Bruins will face Big Ten rival Oregon in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday. Despite dropping a conference series to Oregon earlier in the season, the focus will be on UCLA's own improvement and performance.
In April, the Bruins lost two out of three games against Oregon in Eugene. However, the team is keen to put that behind them, with coach Inouye-Perez emphasizing that the current team is different from the one that played in that series.
Texas Tech and Mississippi will round out UCLA's half of the Women's College World Series bracket. The road to the championship will be challenging, but the Bruins, with their formidable batting and improved pitching, will be confident of their chances.
In the upcoming Women's College World Series, UCLA's rival, Oregon, will be the first opponent the Bruins face on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Despite losing two out of three games against Oregon earlier in the season in Eugene, the focus will be on UCLA's own improvement and performance. The Bruins' potent offense, spearheaded by the impressive duo of Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant, who have combined for 161 RBIs this season, will be a force to reckon with in the tournament. California's Los Angeles UCLA will face tough competition from Texas Tech and Mississippi in their half of the bracket, but with their formidable batting and improved pitching, they will be confident of their chances. This confidence is backed by their 33rd appearance in the prestigious tournament, following a thrilling 5-0 victory over South Carolina in the Columbia Super Regional decider at Beckham Field.
