Saturday, May 18
Los Angeles, CA
3:00 PM
UCLA
48-5
9
vs
1
Missouri
33-24
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Missouri
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
UCLA
3
0
0
6
X
9
6
1
Junior Bubba Nickles collects her home run candy following her fourth-inning grand slam.
Photo by: Jazmine Sosa
No. 2 Bruins Mercy Missouri to Advance to Regional Championship
May 18, 2019 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
LOS ANGELES - Junior Bubba Nickles extended her hitting streak to 21 games in a big way, tying a career high with two home runs, including a grand slam, while driving in a personal-best five, as the second-seeded Bruins recorded a 9-1, five-inning victory over Missouri on Saturday at Easton Stadium.
UCLA advances to the Los Angeles Regional Championship on Sunday, where it will need to win just once against Missouri, which won its elimination game, to move on to Super Regionals. Sunday's first game will be at 2 p.m., with the if necessary game at 4:30 p.m. The contest will air on the WatchESPN app and will have free live audio on UCLABruins.com.
The Bruins (48-5) needed just six hits to score their nine runs, as Nickles and freshman Kelli Godin both posted two-hit contests.
Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia (22-1) picked up the win, both starting and finishing the game. She struck out six in 4 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk. Five of the first six outs recorded by Garcia were via the strikeout, as the only hit she gave up was an infield single in the second. Freshman Megan Faraimo retired a pair of batters, striking out one, allowing an unearned run, one hit and one walk.
The Bruins got things started with a bang in the first, as Nickles led things off with her 15th homer of the season, a shot to center. After sophomore Briana Perez reached on an error, redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Jordan launched her 10th homer of the season to center to bring the lead to 3-0.
The score remained that way until the fourth when the Bruins batted around, scoring six times. With one out, senior Taylor Pack reached on an error and moved to second on a single to left from freshman Colleen Sullivan. With senior Danae Blodgett coming in to run for Sullivan, both her and Pack moved up a base on a passed ball. A walk to senior Brianna Tautalafua loaded the bases for sophomore Kinsley Washington, who slapped a ball to second that was misplayed by Missouri (33-24) for an error, allowing both Pack and Blodgett to score to make it 5-0. Following a bunt hit for Godin, Nickles connected on the first grand slam of her career, a shot to left, for her 16th homer of the season to make it 9-0.
The Tigers scored an unearned run in the fifth, but Garcia stranded the bases loaded to clinch the win.
LOS ANGELES - Junior Bubba Nickles extended her hitting streak to 21 games in a big way, tying a career high with two home runs, including a grand slam, while driving in a personal-best five, as the second-seeded Bruins recorded a 9-1, five-inning victory over Missouri on Saturday at Easton Stadium.
UCLA advances to the Los Angeles Regional Championship on Sunday, where it will need to win just once against Missouri, which won its elimination game, to move on to Super Regionals. Sunday's first game will be at 2 p.m., with the if necessary game at 4:30 p.m. The contest will air on the WatchESPN app and will have free live audio on UCLABruins.com.
The Bruins (48-5) needed just six hits to score their nine runs, as Nickles and freshman Kelli Godin both posted two-hit contests.
Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia (22-1) picked up the win, both starting and finishing the game. She struck out six in 4 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk. Five of the first six outs recorded by Garcia were via the strikeout, as the only hit she gave up was an infield single in the second. Freshman Megan Faraimo retired a pair of batters, striking out one, allowing an unearned run, one hit and one walk.
The Bruins got things started with a bang in the first, as Nickles led things off with her 15th homer of the season, a shot to center. After sophomore Briana Perez reached on an error, redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Jordan launched her 10th homer of the season to center to bring the lead to 3-0.
The score remained that way until the fourth when the Bruins batted around, scoring six times. With one out, senior Taylor Pack reached on an error and moved to second on a single to left from freshman Colleen Sullivan. With senior Danae Blodgett coming in to run for Sullivan, both her and Pack moved up a base on a passed ball. A walk to senior Brianna Tautalafua loaded the bases for sophomore Kinsley Washington, who slapped a ball to second that was misplayed by Missouri (33-24) for an error, allowing both Pack and Blodgett to score to make it 5-0. Following a bunt hit for Godin, Nickles connected on the first grand slam of her career, a shot to left, for her 16th homer of the season to make it 9-0.
The Tigers scored an unearned run in the fifth, but Garcia stranded the bases loaded to clinch the win.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Garcia, Rachel (22-1)
L: Madi Norman (18-11)
Batting:
RBI: Regan Nash 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Geana Torres 1
HBP: Brooke Wilmes 1
Batting:
HR: Nickles, Bubba 2 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 1
RBI: Nickles, Bubba 5 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 2 ; Washington, Kinsley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nickles, Bubba 2 ; Perez, Briana 1 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Pack, Taylor 1 ; Blodgett, Danae 1 ; Wisz, Stevie 1 ; Washington, Kinsley 1 ; Godin, Kelli 1
CS: Godin, Kelli 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
5
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
dp/1b
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/1B
/ SoftballUTIL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC/1B
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballUCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Tennessee (June 1, 2025)
Sunday, June 01
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Texas Tech (May 31, 2025)
Saturday, May 31
Highlights - UCLA Softball vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29