Saturday, May 18
Los Angeles, CA
2:00 PM
UCLA
39-10
7
vs
6
Virginia Tech
40-13-1
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4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Virginia Tech
3
1
0
0
1
0
1
6
10
1
UCLA
0
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2
3
0
0
2
7
12
1
UCLA celebrates a 7-6 comeback win over Virginia Tech
Photo by: Marie Goldfarb
Bruins Rally Twice to Beat Virginia Tech, 7-6
May 18, 2024 | Softball
LOS ANGELES โ The Bru-Win magic was on full display on Day Two of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, as No. 6 seed UCLA (39-10) made a pair of comebacks to defeat Virginia Tech, 7-6, to advance to the Regional Final. The Bruins were down 4-0 after two innings and trailed 6-5 going into the bottom of the seventh before stringing together three hits to secure the walk-off win. The victory was UCLA's fifth of the season while trailing by four or more runs.
Megan Grant's leadoff walk in the seventh started the rally. Pinch runner Taylor Stephens scored the tying run on a triple by Jordan Woolery that was inches shy of a walk-off home run, and Savannah Pola chopped a single to left field to score pinch runner Liesl Osteen for the winning run.
"I think in that moment, my mindset was no fear of failure because, no matter what, my teammates were going to have my back and it takes all of us. We only need one shot, and we have proved that every single time," Pola said.
"I'm just going to say if you don't believe in Bruin Magic โ I mean we have a crazy belief," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "I credit the girls for putting us in a position to be able to have that opportunity to get the last punch today, but I'm proud we are playing UCLA softball. We are always somebody different which makes me so proud, and I'm just saying that we're not done yet. We got a big win which gives us the opportunity to get back into that championship where I believe UCLA softball should be, but once again, credit the coaches, credit the team, credit the ability to believe in this program of what we do postseason."ย
Cori McMillan hit a three-run home run in the first, and the Hokies chased UCLA starter Taylor Tinsley in the second, but the Bruins got right back into it in the third inning after a two-out single by Megan Grant that plated Janelle Meoño and Maya Brady, cutting the lead to 4-2.
The Bruins scored three more in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, 5-4, taking advantage of an error, three walks, two wild pitches and one passed ball. After Pola and Seneca Curo led off the innings with walks, Thessa Malau'ulu singled home Pola, and pinch-hitter Ramsey Suarez drove in the tying run with a single, ending Hokie pitcher Emma Lemley's day. Brady hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Lyndsey Grein to score Malau'ulu with the go-ahead run.
Virginia Tech (40-13-1) answered back in the top of the fifth, tying the game at 5-5 with a solo home run by Addy Greene. The damage could have been worse, however, had it not been for center fielder Meoño, who not only threw out the leadoff runner at second before Greene's home run but also made a catch at the wall to end the inning. ย
The Hokies took the lead again in the top of the seventh. A pair of singles and a wild pitch by Kaitlyn Terry advanced the runners to second and third with one out. After walking McMillan to load the bases, Terry got Teagan Thrunk to pop up to Brady, but Michelle Chatfield blooped a single to right center to score the go-ahead run, and a second potential run was gunned out at the plate by Grant.
Terry pitched 5.2 innings in relief to earn her 20th victory of the season (20-1). She becomes the first UCLA freshman to win 20 games since Rachel Garcia in 2017.
UCLA advances to Sunday's Regional Final at 3 p.m. Virginia Tech will play an elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. against the winner of the San Diego State/Grand Canyon elimination game. ย
ย
Megan Grant's leadoff walk in the seventh started the rally. Pinch runner Taylor Stephens scored the tying run on a triple by Jordan Woolery that was inches shy of a walk-off home run, and Savannah Pola chopped a single to left field to score pinch runner Liesl Osteen for the winning run.
"I think in that moment, my mindset was no fear of failure because, no matter what, my teammates were going to have my back and it takes all of us. We only need one shot, and we have proved that every single time," Pola said.
"I'm just going to say if you don't believe in Bruin Magic โ I mean we have a crazy belief," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "I credit the girls for putting us in a position to be able to have that opportunity to get the last punch today, but I'm proud we are playing UCLA softball. We are always somebody different which makes me so proud, and I'm just saying that we're not done yet. We got a big win which gives us the opportunity to get back into that championship where I believe UCLA softball should be, but once again, credit the coaches, credit the team, credit the ability to believe in this program of what we do postseason."ย
Cori McMillan hit a three-run home run in the first, and the Hokies chased UCLA starter Taylor Tinsley in the second, but the Bruins got right back into it in the third inning after a two-out single by Megan Grant that plated Janelle Meoño and Maya Brady, cutting the lead to 4-2.
The Bruins scored three more in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead, 5-4, taking advantage of an error, three walks, two wild pitches and one passed ball. After Pola and Seneca Curo led off the innings with walks, Thessa Malau'ulu singled home Pola, and pinch-hitter Ramsey Suarez drove in the tying run with a single, ending Hokie pitcher Emma Lemley's day. Brady hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Lyndsey Grein to score Malau'ulu with the go-ahead run.
Virginia Tech (40-13-1) answered back in the top of the fifth, tying the game at 5-5 with a solo home run by Addy Greene. The damage could have been worse, however, had it not been for center fielder Meoño, who not only threw out the leadoff runner at second before Greene's home run but also made a catch at the wall to end the inning. ย
The Hokies took the lead again in the top of the seventh. A pair of singles and a wild pitch by Kaitlyn Terry advanced the runners to second and third with one out. After walking McMillan to load the bases, Terry got Teagan Thrunk to pop up to Brady, but Michelle Chatfield blooped a single to right center to score the go-ahead run, and a second potential run was gunned out at the plate by Grant.
Terry pitched 5.2 innings in relief to earn her 20th victory of the season (20-1). She becomes the first UCLA freshman to win 20 games since Rachel Garcia in 2017.
UCLA advances to Sunday's Regional Final at 3 p.m. Virginia Tech will play an elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. against the winner of the San Diego State/Grand Canyon elimination game. ย
ย
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Terry, Kaitlyn (20-1)
L: Lyndsey Grein (12-5)
Batting:
HR: Addy Greene 1 ; Cori McMillan 1
RBI: Addy Greene 2 ; Cori McMillan 3 ; Teagan Thrunk 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Emma Ritter 1 ; Addy Greene 2 ; Cameron Fagan 1 ; Cori McMillan 1 ; Kylie Aldridge 1
SB: Emma Ritter 1
Batting:
2B: Woolery, Jordan 1
3B: Woolery, Jordan 1
RBI: Brady, Maya 1 ; Grant, Megan 2 ; Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Pola, Savannah 1 ; Malau'ulu, Thessa 1 ; Suarez, Ramsey 1
SF: Brady, Maya 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brady, Maya 1 ; Stephens, Taylor 1 ; Osteen, Liesl 1 ; Pola, Savannah 1 ; Hatch, Lauren 1 ; Malau'ulu, Thessa 1 ; Meoño, Janelle 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
SS
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
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