Tinsley Blanks No. 12 LSU in 8-0 Mercy-Rule Win

Sunday, February 15

Clearwater, FL

7:00 AM (PT)

UCLA

7-3

LSU

7-4

LSU

UCLA

Taylor Tinsley

Photo by: JB Slimp

Tinsley Blanks No. 12 LSU in 8-0 Mercy-Rule Win

February 15, 2026 | Softball

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CLEARWATER, Fla. – The No. 6-ranked UCLA softball team defeated No. 12 LSU, 8-0, in a six-inning mercy-rule win at the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational at Eddie C. Moore Complex on Sunday.

Senior starting pitcher Taylor Tinsley led the Bruins (7-3) in the circle with a complete-game shutout while allowing three hits and two walks. The performance marked her 10th career solo shutout and third against a top-25 opponent.

Offensively, UCLA combined for 11 hits off four different Tiger (7-4) pitchers. Freshman Bri Alejandre recorded two doubles, including one that drove in the game's first two runs in the first inning. That hit scored Rylee Slimp and Megan Grant on a ball that landed just inches fair along the left field foul line.

Megan Grant notched her 10th extra-base hit of the season with another two-RBI double for the Bruins the next inning. Ten of Grant's 12 knocks to start her senior season have gone for extra bases, while nine have been home runs. She leads the team with 18 RBIs through the first 10 games of the year.

Senior Jordan Woolery pushed UCLA's lead to 6-0 in the fourth inning on an opposite field two-run shot out to right field for her sixth homer of the year. Rylee Slimp, who reached base three times in the game with two hits and a hit-by-pitch, was on board for Woolery's blast.

Back-to-back hit-by-pitches to the Bruins' No. 8 and No. 9 hitters, Aleena Garcia and Mia Phillips, with one out in the fifth inning brought up the top of the lineup. After a Slimp strikeout, Grant hit a high infield pop-up that swirled in the strong Clearwater winds and was booted by LSU third baseman Ally Hutchins. Garcia, who was running with two outs, scored on the error.

Alejandre led off the bottom of the sixth with her second double, this time flying into the left-center gap. A Sofia Mujica groundout to the shortstop pushed Alejandre, the mercy-rule-winning run, up to third base. Redshirt junior Ramsey Suarez was called upon by The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez to pinch hit. The Temecula, Calif. native needed to see just one pitch before she jumped on the next delivery for a game-winning RBI base hit into right-center field.

Alejandre also made the top defensive play of the day. The Bruins' third baseman turned an inning-ending double play in the top of the sixth. With runners on first and second, Alejandre fielded a grounder, kneeled on third base for the force out and threw across the diamond to Woolery who picked the ball on a short one-hop.

LSU had only one runner reached third base all day against Tinsley, which came in the top of the second on a two-out triple by Alix Franklin. Tinsley eliminated the threat with a foul out to Woolery in front of the Tiger dugout.

Tinsley improved her record on the season to 4-2 and lowered her ERA to 2.54. She leads the team with 34 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched.

Next Up
UCLA travels to Cathedral City, Calif. for its next tournament at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Bruins will play six games over four days from Thursday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 22 at Big League Dreams Sports Complex. This marks the 23rd straight year UCLA has competed in the event.