By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The No. 8-seed UCLA softball team is headed back to Oklahoma City.
The Bruins defeated UCF 14-4 on Saturday night at Easton Stadium to sweep the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional and punch their ticket to the Women’s College World Series for the third straight season. With the win, UCLA advanced to the WCWS for the 10th time in the last 11 tournaments and for an NCAA-record 34th time overall.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team and their ability to be able to play for each other and with each other,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “But it’s about big moments in postseason, and the ability to step up in those big moments when you have young Bruins.”
UCLA launched four home runs in the win, including two from freshman Aleena Garcia, who delivered one of the biggest postseason performances in program history. Garcia finished 3-for-4 with seven RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Her seven RBIs set a UCLA postseason single-game record.
The Bruins’ power surge also made NCAA history. Their four home runs pushed their season total to 200, making UCLA the first Division I softball team to hit at least 200 home runs in a season.
UCLA trailed 1-0 early after UCF opened the scoring, but the Bruins responded in the third inning. Megan Grant’s sacrifice fly scored Soo-Jin Berry to tie the game, and Garcia followed with an RBI single that brought home Jolyna Lamar. Alexis Ramirez added a solo home run in the fourth to give UCLA a 3-1 lead.
The Bruins kept applying pressure. They scored three runs in the fifth, three more in the sixth and five in the seventh to turn a close game into a runaway. Ramirez was a major part of the attack, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Bri Alejandre also homered as UCLA closed the night in dominant fashion.
Taylor Tinsley earned the win in the circle, improving to 32-6. She struck out a season-high 11 batters, walked three and went the distance for the Bruins. Tinsley picked up the win in each of UCLA’s last four postseason victories — two against South Carolina and two against UCF.
UCF cut the lead to 6-4 in the fifth inning, but Tinsley worked out of a bases-loaded threat and UCLA’s offense answered immediately. Garcia’s three-run homer in the sixth stretched the lead to 9-4, and her second three-run shot in the seventh helped seal the victory.
UCLA, now 52-8, becomes one of eight teams in the Women’s College World Series field. The Bruins will open play against Alabama on Thursday, May 28, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.