With UCLA’s bats quiet early, Kaitlyn Terry stepped into the batter’s field seeking to ignite a two-out rally — and with one swing she introduced the Bruins to life.
Terry, a proper fielder and left-handed pitcher, hit a three-run dwelling run within the second inning to jump-start UCLA’s 9-1 win over UC Santa Barbara in six innings within the opening spherical of the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.
The No. 9 Bruins (50–10) superior to Sport 3 of the regional, the place they’ll face the winner of Arizona State and San Diego State at 2 p.m. PDT Saturday.
Earlier than the season, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez pressured {that a} UCLA championship push needed to begin with securing a regional at Easton Stadium — and caring for enterprise as soon as there.
UCLA is chasing its ninth Ladies’s Faculty World Collection berth previously decade, however early on Friday, the trail seemed shaky. As a substitute of a assured march into the postseason opener, it felt like déjà vu for a second — a flashback to the haunting 2023 regional, when the Bruins dropped their first sport and finally fell wanting a visit to Oklahoma Metropolis.
The Bruins squandered early alternatives uncharacteristic of the nation’s No. 2 run-scoring lineup.
Trailing within the second inning, Alexis Ramirez reached base on a success up the center, then stole second. After advancing on a groundout, she was caught in a rundown between third and residential. Nonetheless, UCLA had an opportunity to even the rating with runners on first and second, however Terry flied out to finish the inning.
UCLA pitcher Taylor Tinsley delivers in opposition to UC Santa Barbara within the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Occasions)
Terry discovered herself in an identical state of affairs two innings later, and she or he delivered.
With two outs within the fourth, Kaniya Bragg reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Batting for the primary time this season, Taylor Stephens adopted with a sluggish curler into proper discipline — simply delicate sufficient for Bragg to beat the tag at third whereas Stephens stepped onto second.
On the subsequent pitch, Terry crushed a house run to middle discipline.
Taylor Tinsley, an All-Large Ten first staff choice, gave up three hits and one stroll whereas putting out one. Her solely blemish got here within the second inning, when she gave up a run on an RBI single by UCSB catcher Delaina Ma’ae.
1. UCLA’s Jordan Woolery fields the ball at third base in opposition to UC Santa Barbara on Friday. 2. UCLA infielder Kaniya Bragg fields the ball. 3. UCLA’s Megan Grant celebrates after hitting a game-ending dwelling run within the sixth inning. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Occasions)
A pair of dwelling runs within the sixth inning ended the sport by way of the mercy rule. Jessica Clements hit a three-run dwelling run. That was adopted by a stroll and steal from Savannah Pola, who was pushed in by Jordan Woolery’s RBI single. Megan Grant ended the sport with a two-run blast to left-center discipline.
UCLA, which completed its first season within the Large Ten tied for second with Nebraska, has received 26 video games by mercy rule this season.
