Friday, May 17
Los Angeles, CA
5:30 PM
UCLA
38-10
9
vs
0
Grand Canyon
48-12
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
UCLA
1
5
1
0
2
9
10
0
Sharlize Palacios (13) and the UCLA Bruins advance in the winner's bracket to face Virginia Tech on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. PT.
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Palacios' Second Homer Walks Off GCU, 9-0
May 17, 2024 | Softball
LOS ANGELES โ Catcher Sharlize Palacios hit a pair of home runs to lead sixth-seeded UCLA to a 9-0 mercy-rule victory over Grand Canyonย in the second game of the Los Angeles Regional on Friday night at Easton Stadium.
ย
The Bruins (38-10) got a two-hit shutout performance from Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Kaitlyn Terry. She had seven strikeouts in her first NCAA Regional game of her collegiate career.ย
"We want to be our best right now, and I'm feeling pretty good about the way we're swinging our stick," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "It's not just anyone, it's the entire team, and hitting is contagious and this team did a great job. But that kind of overshadows the freshman KT (Kaitlyn Terry), what she did in the circle. To be able to throw a shutout in game one of her first post-season game is exciting for things to come."
Palacios now has homers in six of her last 12 games. Her performance tonight marked the 21st multi-homer game in UCLA softball postseason history.
"I'm just trying to stay loose," Palacios said.ย "I like hitting to the outside part of the field. It's just staying loose and staying bought in."
UCLA's offense totaled 10 hits, including five which went for extra bases, and chased out Grand Canyon's first three pitchers. No Lopes pitcher lasted more than 1.2 of an inning.
ย
After the southpaw Terry set the tone with a three-up-three-down inning in the top of the first, Pac-12 Player of the Year,ย Maya Brady, responded in kind in the bottom half of the inning. Brady opened with a double to right center. Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin drew a walk and then catcher Sharlize Palacios singled to right to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore Megan Grant scored Brady on a sac fly to center to put the Bruins up 1-0, but Palacios was out at second. After sophomore Jordan Wooleryย was hit by a pitch, junior Savannah Pola lined out to short to end the ending.
GCU (48-12) picked up back-to-back hits and had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the second inning, but Terry was not phased and calmly struck out back-to-back 'Lopes to get out of theย inning. Redshirt senior Seneca Curoย got the bats going in the bottom of the second, leading off the inning with a triple to right center. Then senior Thessa Malau'uluย was hit by a pitch andย Janelle Meoñoย drew a walk to load the bases for the second consecutive inning with nobody out. Brady then took a 3-0 pitch and doubled to left center, driving in Malau'ulu and Curo for a 3-0 lead.
ย
After Allchin lined out to center,ย Palacios homered for the third straight game when she took a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for a three-run shot to extend the lead to 6-0. The Bruins would draw two more walks in the second with Grant and Pola earning the free passes. Both were stranded in the inning, but not before the Bruins put a five-spot on the board in the bottom half of the second.
ย
While Terry continued to keep GCU off the board in the third, the Bruins tacked on another in the bottom of the inning after Malau'ulu singled up the middle for the third-straight leadoffย hit for the Bruins.ย Meoñoย moved Malau'ulu to second with a sac bunt and then she moved to third when Brady grounded out. With two outs, Allchin drove in Malau'ulu with her fifth double of the season to put UCLA up 7-0. GCU would get out of the inning without any further damage.
ย
Terry pitched two more scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, setting up Palacios' heroics in the bottom half of the fifth. After Terry struck out to open the bottom of the fifth in just her third at-bat of the season, Brady singled up the middle for her third hit of the game. Allchin reached on a fielder's choice with Brady out at second.ย Palacios' fifth-inning blast marked her 17th home run of the season, which leads the team.
UCLA will face Virginia Tech in the winner's bracket of the Los Angeles Regional tomorrow at 2 p.m. (PT). The Hokies defeated San Diego State, 5-1, in the first game of the LA Regional.
ย
ย
The Bruins (38-10) got a two-hit shutout performance from Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Kaitlyn Terry. She had seven strikeouts in her first NCAA Regional game of her collegiate career.ย
"We want to be our best right now, and I'm feeling pretty good about the way we're swinging our stick," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "It's not just anyone, it's the entire team, and hitting is contagious and this team did a great job. But that kind of overshadows the freshman KT (Kaitlyn Terry), what she did in the circle. To be able to throw a shutout in game one of her first post-season game is exciting for things to come."
Palacios now has homers in six of her last 12 games. Her performance tonight marked the 21st multi-homer game in UCLA softball postseason history.
"I'm just trying to stay loose," Palacios said.ย "I like hitting to the outside part of the field. It's just staying loose and staying bought in."
UCLA's offense totaled 10 hits, including five which went for extra bases, and chased out Grand Canyon's first three pitchers. No Lopes pitcher lasted more than 1.2 of an inning.
ย
After the southpaw Terry set the tone with a three-up-three-down inning in the top of the first, Pac-12 Player of the Year,ย Maya Brady, responded in kind in the bottom half of the inning. Brady opened with a double to right center. Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin drew a walk and then catcher Sharlize Palacios singled to right to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore Megan Grant scored Brady on a sac fly to center to put the Bruins up 1-0, but Palacios was out at second. After sophomore Jordan Wooleryย was hit by a pitch, junior Savannah Pola lined out to short to end the ending.
GCU (48-12) picked up back-to-back hits and had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the second inning, but Terry was not phased and calmly struck out back-to-back 'Lopes to get out of theย inning. Redshirt senior Seneca Curoย got the bats going in the bottom of the second, leading off the inning with a triple to right center. Then senior Thessa Malau'uluย was hit by a pitch andย Janelle Meoñoย drew a walk to load the bases for the second consecutive inning with nobody out. Brady then took a 3-0 pitch and doubled to left center, driving in Malau'ulu and Curo for a 3-0 lead.
ย
3-0 ?? LIGHT.
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 18, 2024
??: ESPN+
??: https://t.co/T5Ovxk6xCw#GoBruins | @BradyMaya pic.twitter.com/x94D6YCiyC
After Allchin lined out to center,ย Palacios homered for the third straight game when she took a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for a three-run shot to extend the lead to 6-0. The Bruins would draw two more walks in the second with Grant and Pola earning the free passes. Both were stranded in the inning, but not before the Bruins put a five-spot on the board in the bottom half of the second.
ย
ยTHE BEST CATCHER IN AMERICA.@SHARPALACIOS HOMERS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT GAME.
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 18, 2024
??: ESPN+
??: https://t.co/T5Ovxk6xCw#GoBruins | #SharBomb pic.twitter.com/71uxuT4E07
While Terry continued to keep GCU off the board in the third, the Bruins tacked on another in the bottom of the inning after Malau'ulu singled up the middle for the third-straight leadoffย hit for the Bruins.ย Meoñoย moved Malau'ulu to second with a sac bunt and then she moved to third when Brady grounded out. With two outs, Allchin drove in Malau'ulu with her fifth double of the season to put UCLA up 7-0. GCU would get out of the inning without any further damage.
ย
Terry pitched two more scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, setting up Palacios' heroics in the bottom half of the fifth. After Terry struck out to open the bottom of the fifth in just her third at-bat of the season, Brady singled up the middle for her third hit of the game. Allchin reached on a fielder's choice with Brady out at second.ย Palacios' fifth-inning blast marked her 17th home run of the season, which leads the team.
ยShe's a Super-???????? ??
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 18, 2024
??: ESPN+
??: https://t.co/T5Ovxk6xCw#GoBruins | @sharpalacios pic.twitter.com/ZU6AY79w0L
UCLA will face Virginia Tech in the winner's bracket of the Los Angeles Regional tomorrow at 2 p.m. (PT). The Hokies defeated San Diego State, 5-1, in the first game of the LA Regional.
ย
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Terry, Kaitlyn (19-1)
L: Hudson, Hailey (15-6)
Batting:
2B: Gomez, Makaiya 1
Base Running:
HBP: Fifield, Kristin 1
Batting:
2B: Brady, Maya 2 ; Allchin, Jadelyn 1
3B: Curo, Seneca 1
HR: Palacios, Sharlize 2
RBI: Brady, Maya 2 ; Allchin, Jadelyn 1 ; Palacios, Sharlize 5 ; Grant, Megan 1
SH: Meoño, Janelle 1
SF: Grant, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brady, Maya 2 ; Allchin, Jadelyn 1 ; Palacios, Sharlize 2 ; Curo, Seneca 1 ; Malau'ulu, Thessa 2 ; Meoño, Janelle 1
HBP: Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Malau'ulu, Thessa 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
5
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballSS
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ 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