LOS ANGELES — UCLA softball needed to produce its fifth comeback of four or more points this season to earn a spot in the Los Angeles regional final. Another dose of “Bruin Magic”.
That level of desperation was unnecessary Sunday when the Bruins (40-10) jumped on Grand Canyon in the first inning, extending their lead enough to end the game after the fifth inning via the run rule. With UCLA’s 9-1 victory over Grand Canyon (50-13), the Bruins qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals for the 13th time under head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
UCLA won all three games it played in the 2024 Los Angeles Regional, rewriting the mistake of 2023 when back-to-back losses ended the Bruins’ season. The first of these two defeats went to the Antelopes, who the Bruins beat twice in three days this time.
They needed 10 innings total to achieve this, giving up one run in those frames.
Taylor Tinsley (16-8) started Sunday’s game after playing just 1 ⅓ innings Saturday. She didn’t dwell on past mistakes, but instead hung in there and went the distance. Tinsley struck out six Antelopes in five innings. She allowed two hits, one of which was Tinley Lucas’ homer in the third inning.
UCLA offered running support before Tinsley even stepped on the mound.
With no outs in the bottom of the first, catcher Sharlize Palacios drove in Maya Brady and Jadelyn Allchin with a three-run homer. Palacios threw two bombs over the right-field wall in Friday’s game against the Antelopes, but Virginia Tech’s pitching held her hitless, forcing three weak pop-ups.
Palacios regained his momentum, leaping on a pitch and sending it over the fence into left field. She has hit nine homers in the last 14 games and three in the Los Angeles Regional.
The Bruins extended their lead to five in the top of the third inning when Alexis Ramirez replaced Antelopes starter Meghan Golden, who earned the loss Sunday. Left fielder Jadelyn Allchin belted Ramirez’s third pitch over the center field wall for a solo shot, her fifth homer of the season.
Then the same duo that produced Saturday’s race combined for another.
Grand Canyon altered its defense, expecting that if second baseman Savannah Pola made contact, she would pull the ball. But like she did on that game-winner, she hit it to the outside of the court. Rather than a sharp grounder, however, it was a powerful double that spread to the wall, allowing Jordan Woolery to score from first base.
UCLA loaded the bases in the top of the fourth and brought every runner home without recording a hit. Janelle Meoño scored on a wild pitch. Brady came home on a Palacios groundout and Allchin crossed the plate for a team-high third time on Woolery’s roller.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, third baseman Thessa Malau’ulu dove to field a ground ball and spun around to score a goal of her own. The play protected the run rule and allowed Tinsley to take the Antelopes out in order in the fifth.
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