UCLA
56-6
Oklahoma
57-6
Softball Wins NCAA Title in Walk-Off Fashion
June 04, 2019 | Softball
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OKLAHOMA CITY -ย Sophomore Kinsley Washington drove in junior Jacqui Prober with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Bruins claimed the program's 13th National Championship, their 12th NCAA Championship and the 118th title in UCLA Athletics history, as UCLA defeated Oklahoma, 5-4, on Tuesday to sweep the best-of-three WCWS Championship Series.
As they had done all year when an opponent scored in the previous half inning, with Oklahoma tying the game with a two-out solo homer in the top of the seventh, the Bruins punched back in their next at-bat. Senior Taylor Pack got the frame started with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice by senior Brianna Tautalafua. Pack would be retired at third when freshman Colleen Sullivan grounded into a fielder's choice to short. The first pitch to Washington got away, allowing Sullivan to move up to second. It proved to be a key advancement, as Prober came in to run and Washington stroked the next pitch intoย left field for the Championship-clinching RBI.
UCLA had 10 hits from six different players, led by a 3-for-3 performance fromย Tautalafua. Washington and redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Jordan added two-hit games. The Bruins posted a quartet of solo home runs from Jordan, Tautalafua, junior Bubba Nickles and sophomore Briana Perez.
Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia (29-1), who was named the WCWSย Most Outstanding Player, struck out four over seven innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and three walks.
After Garcia got out of a jam in the top of the first inning, stranding a leadoff double and getting a pair of strikeouts to end the frame, the Bruins (56-6) broke out the long ball in the bottom of the first. Nickles led things off two pitches in with a home run to left, her team-best 18th of the season. One pitch later, Perez belted one to center for her seventh homer of the year to make it 2-0.
A solo homer for Oklahoma (57-6) in the top of the third made it a one-run game, but UCLA did what it does best, answering back in its next at-bat. Jordan led off with a home run to center, again on a 1-0 count, her 13th of the season, to make it 3-1.
The Sooners came back to even the score at three with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but Garcia kept the damage at a minimum, stranding the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tautalafua put the Bruins ahead, sending an 0-1 pitch out to left-center to make it 4-3. One out away from the title, the Sooners tied the game, only to set up the Washington heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
"They were convicted, they bought into the process, and they had each other's back," said UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, who earned her 600th career victory. "There were so many selfless teammates, as far as not everyone got to get what they wanted, but they were committed to doing whatever they could to help this team. They're a really gutsy, relentless team, and I'm so proud that they enjoyed it. They had fun, they had each other's backs. We knew Oklahoma would throw punches today, and we had to punch back, and they literally got it done on this stage."
Garcia was joined on the All-Tournament team by Jordan, Nickles and Washington.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Garcia, Rachel (29-1)
L: Juarez, Giselle (28-4)
Batting:
2B: Romero, Sydney 1 ; Elam, Lynnsie 1
HR: Romero, Sydney 1 ; Knighten, Shay 1
RBI: Romero, Sydney 1 ; Knighten, Shay 1 ; Aviu, Falepolima 1 ; Elam, Lynnsie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Romero, Sydney 1 ; Knighten, Shay 1 ; Mendes, Nicole 1 ; Rogers, Raegan 1
SB: Lyons,Grace 1
HBP: Clifton, Caleigh 1
Batting:
HR: Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Perez, Briana 1 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Tautalafua, Brianna 1
RBI: Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Perez, Briana 1 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Tautalafua, Brianna 1 ; Washington, Kinsley 1
SH: Tautalafua, Brianna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Perez, Briana 1 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Tautalafua, Brianna 1 ; Prober, Jacqui 1
HBP: Jordan, Aaliyah 1
