Friday, May 31
Oklahoma City, OK
4:00 PM
UCLA
53-6
6
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2
Arizona
48-13
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7
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H
E
UCLA
0
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1
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Arizona
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2
Sophomore Malia Quarles comes home following her go-ahead homer in the sixth inning.
Photo by: USA Softball
Quarles Pinch-Hit Homer Sparks UCLA Rally, Bruins Into National Semis
May 31, 2019 | Softball
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.ย - Sophomore Malia Quarlesย came up with the biggest hit of her career, a pinch-hit home run in the top of the sixth, as No. 2 UCLA scored five times in its last two at-bats to defeat No. 6 Arizona, 6-2, on Friday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
With the victory, the Bruins (53-6) advance to the Women's College World Series semifinals for the second year in a row, and will be off on Saturday. UCLA's next game will be on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT/10 a.m. PT on ESPN.
Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia (26-1) struck out six in seven innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Garcia had 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth, posting one strikeout in six of seven innings. UCLA had six hits from five different players, as redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Jordan recorded a pair.
After two scoreless innings, the Bruins, as the visiting team, scored in the top of the third. Junior Bubba Nickles reached on a one-out single to left, sophomore Briana Perez walked and Jordan reached on an error to load the bases. Garcia followed with a line out to right on a spectacular Arizona catch to save a bases-clearing double, but Nickles would score on the sacrifice fly to give UCLA a 1-0 lead.
Arizona (48-13) evened the score in the bottom of the third on a solo home run.
In the top of the sixth, it was Quarles' time to shine, as she produced her third pinch-hit homer of the season and fourth overall on a shot to center field to give the Bruins a 2-1 advantage.
The Wildcats looked to rally in the bottom of the sixth, but Garcia shut the door to keep it a one-run game. Following a leadoff double, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice, Garcia recorded a strikeout and got a foul out to end the threat.
The Bruins broke it open with four in the seventh. With one out, Perez singled up the middle and came home on a double to right-center by Jordan to make it 3-1. With senior Stevie Wisz running for Jordan, who advanced to third on the throw home, walks to Garcia and senior Taylor Pack loaded the bases. Senior Brianna Tautalafua lifted a shallow fly ball to right, but Wisz was able to come home and score the Bruins' fourth run. Freshman Colleen Sullivan followed by lifting a fly ball to left, but it was dropped by Arizona, allowing junior Jacqui Prober, who was running for Garcia, and Pack to score to make it 6-1.
Arizona hit another solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bruins would finish it off with a four-run win to advance to Sunday's National Semifinals.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.ย - Sophomore Malia Quarlesย came up with the biggest hit of her career, a pinch-hit home run in the top of the sixth, as No. 2 UCLA scored five times in its last two at-bats to defeat No. 6 Arizona, 6-2, on Friday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
With the victory, the Bruins (53-6) advance to the Women's College World Series semifinals for the second year in a row, and will be off on Saturday. UCLA's next game will be on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT/10 a.m. PT on ESPN.
Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia (26-1) struck out six in seven innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Garcia had 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth, posting one strikeout in six of seven innings. UCLA had six hits from five different players, as redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Jordan recorded a pair.
After two scoreless innings, the Bruins, as the visiting team, scored in the top of the third. Junior Bubba Nickles reached on a one-out single to left, sophomore Briana Perez walked and Jordan reached on an error to load the bases. Garcia followed with a line out to right on a spectacular Arizona catch to save a bases-clearing double, but Nickles would score on the sacrifice fly to give UCLA a 1-0 lead.
Arizona (48-13) evened the score in the bottom of the third on a solo home run.
In the top of the sixth, it was Quarles' time to shine, as she produced her third pinch-hit homer of the season and fourth overall on a shot to center field to give the Bruins a 2-1 advantage.
Malia Quarles makes the most of her pinch-hit opportunity with a LOOOONNNNNGGGG home run to give @UCLASoftball the lead again!#WCWS pic.twitter.com/8p2uWtzBMh
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 1, 2019
The Wildcats looked to rally in the bottom of the sixth, but Garcia shut the door to keep it a one-run game. Following a leadoff double, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice, Garcia recorded a strikeout and got a foul out to end the threat.
The Bruins broke it open with four in the seventh. With one out, Perez singled up the middle and came home on a double to right-center by Jordan to make it 3-1. With senior Stevie Wisz running for Jordan, who advanced to third on the throw home, walks to Garcia and senior Taylor Pack loaded the bases. Senior Brianna Tautalafua lifted a shallow fly ball to right, but Wisz was able to come home and score the Bruins' fourth run. Freshman Colleen Sullivan followed by lifting a fly ball to left, but it was dropped by Arizona, allowing junior Jacqui Prober, who was running for Garcia, and Pack to score to make it 6-1.
Arizona hit another solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bruins would finish it off with a four-run win to advance to Sunday's National Semifinals.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Garcia, Rachel (26-1)
L: McQuillin, Taylor (24-8)
Batting:
2B: Jordan, Aaliyah 1
HR: Quarles, Malia 1
RBI: Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Garcia, Rachel 1 ; Tautalafua, Brianna 1 ; Quarles, Malia 1
SF: Garcia, Rachel 1 ; Tautalafua, Brianna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Perez, Briana 1 ; Wisz, Stevie 1 ; Prober, Jacqui 1 ; Pack, Taylor 1 ; Quarles, Malia 1
HBP: Garcia, Rachel 1
Batting:
2B: Martinez, Malia 1
HR: Palomino, Alyssa 2
RBI: Palomino, Alyssa 2
SH: Pierce, Rylee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Palomino, Alyssa 2
HBP: Palomino, Alyssa 1 ; Mulipola, Dejah 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P/1B
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
C/OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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