Friday, February 21
Cathedral City, Calif.
3:30 PM (PT)
UCLA
12-1
4
vs
3
Tennessee
12-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Tennessee
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
8
0
UCLA
0
0
0
0
4
0
X
4
7
0
Photo by: Jesus Ramirez
Woolery Powers UCLA to 4-3 Win over Tennessee
February 21, 2025 | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. โ Junior Jordan Woolery hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead the No. 4 UCLA softball team to a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over No. 5 Tennessee at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday afternoon.
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With the win, the Bruins (12-1) improved their record against top-25 teams to a perfect 6-0 through 13 games this season. The win also marked UCLA's second of the year when trailing 3-0 in the fifth inning or later (last vs. No. 14 Alabama). The Bruins won 11 games tied or trailing in the fifth or later a year ago.
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"We know that we're never out of the game no matter what," Woolery said. "If we have one out or two strikes left, all that matters is Bruin Magic is real and committing to the plan that Coach Bubba (Nickles-Camarena) and Will (Oldham) gave us. We will have a shot."
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The Bruins entered the fifth inning trailing 3-0 and had yet to reach scoring position against Volunteers (12-3) starting pitcher Karlyn Pickens. Three UCLA freshmen โ Aleena Garcia, Maggie Daniel and Rylee Slimp โ led off and loaded the bases without hitting a ball out of the infield. Garcia singled on a ball up the middle, Daniel battled back from an 0-2 count to reach on a walk and Slimp singled on chopper to the second baseman. The sequenced forced Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly to go to the bullpen and bring Sage Mardjetko in for relief.
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Graduate outfielder Jessica Clements, the first batter Mardjetko faced, knocked in the Bruins' first run of the game on a groundball to shortstop. Slimp was out on the force play at second base. A sharply-hit lineout by Savannah Pola to second base marked the second out of the inning and brought Woolery to the plate.
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Woolery blasted a three-run homer over the left field wall on the first pitch she saw from Mardjetko, giving UCLA its first lead of the ballgame at 4-3. The Walnut Creek, Calif. native has homered off Tennessee in each of the last two Mary Nutter tournaments.
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Mardjetko, who was responsible for the last of the four earned runs, was handed her first loss of the year.
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UCLA freshman Addisen Fisher earned the start in the circle. The Bend, Ore. product settled in after giving up three runs in the first inning. Tennessee singled four times, walked twice and put runners in motion with two stolen bases to generate its three runs.
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Fisher danced around a pair of two-out hits to leave the second inning unscathed. In the third, Fisher retired the side in order and recorded her only strikeout of the day. Volunteers' leadoff hitter Destiny Rodriguez reached on a single to right field to open the fourth inning, but her pinch runner was thrown out attempting to steal on the very next pitch by Bruins' backstop Maggie Daniel.
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Sophomore Kaitlyn Terry was called on for relief after a leadoff walk from Fisher in the fifth inning. Tennessee was able to put two on base before Terry induced a groundout to Garcia at shortstop and struck out No. 5 hitter Sophia Nugent to extinguish the threat.
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Terry retired the Volunteers' final eight batters to end the game, including four by way of the K. With her 3.0 scoreless innings, Terry picked up her seventh win of the year and dropped her earned run average from 1.05 to 0.96.
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Next Up
UCLA plays two games versus Baylor and No. 10 Arkansas on day three of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Bruins square off with the Bears at 12:30 p.m. (PT) and the Razorbacks shortly after at 3 p.m. Fans can live stream the action for a fee on FloCollege.
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With the win, the Bruins (12-1) improved their record against top-25 teams to a perfect 6-0 through 13 games this season. The win also marked UCLA's second of the year when trailing 3-0 in the fifth inning or later (last vs. No. 14 Alabama). The Bruins won 11 games tied or trailing in the fifth or later a year ago.
ย
"We know that we're never out of the game no matter what," Woolery said. "If we have one out or two strikes left, all that matters is Bruin Magic is real and committing to the plan that Coach Bubba (Nickles-Camarena) and Will (Oldham) gave us. We will have a shot."
ย
The Bruins entered the fifth inning trailing 3-0 and had yet to reach scoring position against Volunteers (12-3) starting pitcher Karlyn Pickens. Three UCLA freshmen โ Aleena Garcia, Maggie Daniel and Rylee Slimp โ led off and loaded the bases without hitting a ball out of the infield. Garcia singled on a ball up the middle, Daniel battled back from an 0-2 count to reach on a walk and Slimp singled on chopper to the second baseman. The sequenced forced Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly to go to the bullpen and bring Sage Mardjetko in for relief.
ย
Graduate outfielder Jessica Clements, the first batter Mardjetko faced, knocked in the Bruins' first run of the game on a groundball to shortstop. Slimp was out on the force play at second base. A sharply-hit lineout by Savannah Pola to second base marked the second out of the inning and brought Woolery to the plate.
ย
Woolery blasted a three-run homer over the left field wall on the first pitch she saw from Mardjetko, giving UCLA its first lead of the ballgame at 4-3. The Walnut Creek, Calif. native has homered off Tennessee in each of the last two Mary Nutter tournaments.
Woolery leads the Bruins with five home runs and a .474 batting average (18-for-38) this season.JORDAN WOOLERY MY GOODNESS!!
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) February 22, 2025
AN ABSOLUTE BOMB TO TAKE THE LEAD!! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/TGdEMIKmbw
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Mardjetko, who was responsible for the last of the four earned runs, was handed her first loss of the year.
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UCLA freshman Addisen Fisher earned the start in the circle. The Bend, Ore. product settled in after giving up three runs in the first inning. Tennessee singled four times, walked twice and put runners in motion with two stolen bases to generate its three runs.
ย
Fisher danced around a pair of two-out hits to leave the second inning unscathed. In the third, Fisher retired the side in order and recorded her only strikeout of the day. Volunteers' leadoff hitter Destiny Rodriguez reached on a single to right field to open the fourth inning, but her pinch runner was thrown out attempting to steal on the very next pitch by Bruins' backstop Maggie Daniel.
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Sophomore Kaitlyn Terry was called on for relief after a leadoff walk from Fisher in the fifth inning. Tennessee was able to put two on base before Terry induced a groundout to Garcia at shortstop and struck out No. 5 hitter Sophia Nugent to extinguish the threat.
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Terry retired the Volunteers' final eight batters to end the game, including four by way of the K. With her 3.0 scoreless innings, Terry picked up her seventh win of the year and dropped her earned run average from 1.05 to 0.96.
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Next Up
UCLA plays two games versus Baylor and No. 10 Arkansas on day three of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Bruins square off with the Bears at 12:30 p.m. (PT) and the Razorbacks shortly after at 3 p.m. Fans can live stream the action for a fee on FloCollege.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Terry, Kaitlyn (7-1)
L: Sage Mardjetko (5-1)
Batting:
RBI: Taylor Pannell 1 ; Amayah Doyle 1 ; Destiny Rodriguez 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Saviya Morgan 1 ; Laura Mealer 1 ; Sophia Nugent 1
SB: Saviya Morgan 1 ; Taylor Pannell 1
CS: Amanda Ahlin 1
Batting:
HR: Woolery, Jordan 1
RBI: Clements, Jessica 1 ; Woolery, Jordan 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Clements, Jessica 1 ; Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Garcia, Aleena 1 ; Pinedo, Rylee 1
HBP: Bragg, Kaniya 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C/UTIL
/ Softball
P/UTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
INF
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