UCLA beats South Carolina, reaches Womens College | College News

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Oklahoma City certain.

UCLA softball is heading to its thirty third Women’s College World Series after rallying from a sport down to win the Columbia Super Regional, defeating South Carolina 5-0 in the collection decider at Beckham Field on Sunday.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez mentioned. “To be able to be a final eight [team] is a goal, and the ability to overcome day one is because they [players] were so committed to the process and allowed them to take a trip back to OKC.”

After Jordan Woolery saved UCLA’s (54-11) season alive with a walk-off home run in Game 2, she picked up proper where she left off with a first-inning RBI single off South Carolina (44-17) beginning pitcher Sam Gress. The Bruins failed to tack on runs with the bases loaded, but Kaitlyn Terry made sure the early tally was enough.

Terry threw 5 ⅔ innings of two-hit shutout ball with 4 strikeouts before giving approach to Saturday’s beginning pitcher, Taylor Tinsley. She allowed only one runner into scoring place through the first 5 innings, handcuffing South Carolina’s highly effective offense all day. Between Terry and Tinsley over the final two days, the Bruins only allowed 4 runs on 12 hits, all singles, across their two victories.

“I think honestly it was just spinning the ball and trusting my stuff,” Terry mentioned.

From 9 runs allowed on Friday to 4 Saturday and a shutout in the rubber sport, UCLA’s pitching only improved as the collection went on.

“We owned the fact that we didn’t play our game on Friday,” Inouye-Perez mentioned. “With that being said regardless of the score — and it was a big one — we looked back at video and we didn’t play our game.”

Sunday, it was a a lot completely different story.

Woolery delivered a important insurance coverage run in the fifth inning when she poked an infield single through the suitable aspect of South Carolina’s infield shift to deliver Jessica Clements around after her one-out double.

The Bruins confronted one tight spot, but it featured two heart-in-mouth moments. Quincee Lilio drew a lead-off stroll, bringing Karley Shelton to the plate as the tying run.

Shelton crushed one to deep proper area, but the ball died on the warning observe for a loud first out. Then South Carolina’s home run chief Arianna Rodi stepped up, and put one to virtually an equivalent spot. Two would-be game-tying swings, two outs just shy of the wall.

“They got on the pitches,” Terry mentioned. “But I knew [right fielder] Liesl [Osteen] was going to be there. At the end of the day, she was there.”

After Tinsley pitched out of a jam with the tying runs on base in the sixth, UCLA added three runs in the seventh to put the sport out of attain thanks to back-to-back RBIs from Rylee Slimp and Alexis Ramirez.

“We have to keep going and pushing and never letting up,” second baseman Savannah Pola mentioned about the insurance coverage runs. “I think that was a good example yesterday, two outs, bottom of the seventh. You just can never relax.”

Tinsley dealt with one ultimate inning, and a hard-fought collection ended when South Carolina left fielder Emily Vinson popped out to shortstop Kaniya Bragg.

Back to the Women’s College World Series, with a acquainted opponent ready.

UCLA will play fellow Big Ten faculty Oregon on Thursday, one of two opponents the it dropped a convention collection against all season.

The Bruins misplaced two of three video games in Eugene back in April, but the slate is clean and as at all times, the main focus will probably be inward.

“I think the best part about it for us is we know we didn’t play our game that weekend,” Inouye-Perez mentioned. “We are a different team.”

Texas Tech and the winner of the Arkansas vs. Ole Miss Super Regional will spherical out UCLA’s half of the bracket.