UCLA Softball Looks to Advance to WCWS Semifinals
The Bruins face Texas Tech and NiJaree Canady this afternoon.
This afternoon, the #9 seed UCLA softball team faces the #12 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in Game 8 of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. First pitch is scheduled for 4 pm PT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Bruins advanced in the Winner’s Bracket on Thursday by beating the Oregon Ducks, 4-2.
Last Time Out
If you’re a long-time softball reader of The Mighty Bruin or the old site, you know of my disdain for UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
While she has won two national championships at UCLA, she has consistently demonstrated terrible game management.
Thursday’s WCWS game was, once again, no exception. And, as usual, it cost the Bruins immediately, and it almost cost them the game.
In the top of the third, Oregon second baseman Kaylynn Jones led off the inning with a swinging bunt to Bruin first baseman Megan Grant. Grant fielded it cleanly and turned and threw it to second baseman Savannah Pola who was covering first.
The umpire called Jones safe, but the replay clearly showed the ball had beaten her to the bag. The Bruins should have challenged the call at first, but didn’t.
Of course, that came back to bite UCLA because Jones went on to score the first run of the game.
The Bruins got that run back and more in the bottom of the fourth. Jordan Woolery led off the inning with a single to left and Lauren Hatch pinch-ran for her. With two outs and Hatch now on second, Alexis Ramirez came to the plate where she took to 2-2 pitch and sent it over the left field wall, putting UCLA up 2-1.
But I told you that that first run would come back to bite the Bruins.
In the top of the seventh, Paige Sinicki led off for Oregon and doubled down the third base line. Dezianna Patmon bunted Sinicki over, putting the tying run on third with only one out. That brought up Oregon catcher Erin Cox, who hit the ball to Woolery at third. She immediately came home with the ball and Ramirez tagged Sinicki out.
Oregon challenged the out at the plate and, in a bizarre move, the call was overturned with the umps ruling that Ramirez had obstructed the base. Never mind the fact that she actually had the ball. As a result, Sinicki was safe and the game was now tied.
Had Inouye-Perez challenged the third inning call, the score after six and a half would have been 2-1, Bruins and the game would have been over. Instead, UCLA had to bat in the bottom of the seventh and they were facing extra innings if they didn’t score.
Sofia Mujica singled up the middle with one out and Taylor Stephens pinch-ran for her. Kaitlyn Terry fouled out for the second out of the inning. So, with two outs, Jessica Clements came up. Thankfully, she took a 2-2 pitch and knocked it over the wall in left-center and UCLA advanced to today’s game in the winner’s bracket.
So, while the failure to challenge the play at first back in the third forced the Bruins to rely on a walk-off homer, the end result was the same and UCLA won 4-2.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Earlier on Thursday, the Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the Ole Miss Rebels, 1-0, after former Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady struck out ten as she tossed a shutout for her 31st win of the season.
As a result of that, all the Raiders needed to win the game was a double by Alana Johnson, combined with a throwing error that allowed Lauren Allred to score the game’s only run.
Heading into today’s game, the biggest question is will Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco go back to Canady today against the Bruins or will he opt to start one of his other pitchers. Canady, of course, was the Stanford pitcher in the WCWS who held UCLA to just one run, knocking last year’s team out of the tournament when the Cardinal won 4-1.
Here is the full WCWS schedule with results:
Thursday, May 29
Game 1: #6 Texas defeats #3 Florida, 3-0
Game 2: #2 Oklahoma defeats #7 Tennessee, 4-3
Game 3: #12 Texas Tech defeats Ole Miss, 1-0
Game 4: #9 UCLA defeats Oregon, 4-2
Friday, May 30
Game 5: Tennessee defeats Florida, 11-3 (5 innings)
Game 6: Oregon defeats Ole Miss, 6-5 (10 innings)
Saturday, May 31
Game 7: #6 Texas defeats #2 Oklahoma, 4-2
Game 8: #12 Texas Tech vs. #9 UCLA at 4:00 pm PT on ESPN
Sunday, June 1
Game 9: Tennessee vs. Game 8 Loser at Noon PT on ABC
Game 10: Oregon vs. Oklahoma at 4:00 pm PT on ESPNU
Monday, June 2
Game 11: #6 Texas vs. Game 9 Winner at 9:00 am PT on ESPN
Game 12 (if necessary): Game 11 teams , 11:30 am PT on ESPN
Game 13: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner at 4:00 pm PT on ESPN2
Game 14 (if necessary): Game 12 teams , 6:30 pm PT on ESPN2
Championship Finals
Game 1: 5:00 pm PT, Wednesday, June 4 on ESPN
Game 2: 5:00 pm PT, Thursday, June 5 on ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary): 5:00 pm PT, Friday, June 6 on ESPN
This is your UCLA vs. Texas Tech WCWS Game 8 game thread.
Women’s College World Series
Game #8
Teams: #9 seed UCLA Bruins (55-11) vs. #12 seed Texas Tech Red Raider (51-12)
When: 4:00 pm PT, Saturday, May 31, 2025
Where: Devon Park, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
NCAA.com
Game Notes:
UCLA
Texas Tech
NCAA WCWS Bracket
Go Bruins!!! Bring home NC# 125!!!
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See ya!
The Bruins are running out of outs.