University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Sunday, May 17
Los Angeles, CA
4:30 PM (PT)
UCLA
50-8
15
vs
1
South Carolina
32-28
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
UCLA celebrates Megan Grant's grand slam
Photo by: Mac Brown
UCLA Softball Routs South Carolina 15-1 to Win NCAA Regional
May 17, 2026 | Softball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 8 seed UCLA softball team advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round after a 15-1 six-inning victory over South Carolina in the Regional Final on Sunday afternoon. Senior Megan Grant hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, and senior Taylor Tinsley held the Gamecocks offense to just two hits of one-run ball.
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The Bruins (50-8) added four more home runs to their NCAA record total, which now stands at 193, thanks to home runs by Grant (her NCAA-record 40th of the year), Rylee Slimp, Kaniya Bragg and Soo-Jin Berry. Eight different UCLA players homered at least once across the team's three Regional games.
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"I'm so proud of this team and their commitment to excellence, the standard, how they play for each other and with each other," said The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "Just some big time moments from Bruins who have put a lot of work in. I'm very proud of Taylor's (Tinsley's) resilience; just the ability to do whatever she can to be able to help this team. She got stronger through the weekend. I'm proud of that; that's good news for us."
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Starting her third straight game in the circle, Tinsley allowed just two hits and one earned run over a 6.0-inning complete game performance. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native picked up her 30th win of the season, becoming the first Bruin to reach that mark since Ally Cardin 2015. She is the eighth different Bruin pitcher in program history to record a 30-win campaign.
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The performance also marked Tinsley's 22nd complete-game outing of the season. She is the second Bruin hurler in the last 16 seasons to record 20-plus complete games in a season (other: Rachel Garcia in 2018).
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UCLA took advantage of a two-out error in the third inning to jump ahead 2-0. After a fielding error allowed Jolyna Lamar to reach base, Slimp hit her 15th home run of the season.
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The Gamecocks (32-28) got themselves in an unenviable position in the top of the fifth after Berry led off with a single, and the next two batters were put on base via hit-by-pitch and a four-pitch walk. With the bases full, Jori Heard came in for Emma Friedel to pitch to Grant. The Bruin slugger greeted Heard with an opposite field grand slam, the seventh of her career, to break the game open. Grant's grand slam puts her one home run away from UCLA's career record of 90, held by Stacey Nuveman.
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"Breaking records, setting records, just playing big on this stage is what this girl [Grant] came here to do, and I'm just so proud she had the opportunity with the bases loaded to actually get a pitch. That was awesome," said Inouye-Perez.
After South Carolina scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, Grant found herself in another bases-loaded situation in the top of the sixth. A double by Alexis Ramirez, single by Lamar and another walk to Slimp, loaded them up, and Grant delivered once again with a two-RBI single to center field to make the score 8-1. Jordan Woolery followed with a double down the left field line that plated two more. A Bri Alejandre RBI single scored Woolery to increase the lead to 11-1, and Bragg and Berry joined the home run party with two-run shots that provided the final scoring.
The Bruins will host UCF in next week's NCAA Super Regional from May 22-24. Game 1 of the Best-of-3 series will take place on Friday, May 22 at 6 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at 6 p.m. PT and will air on ESPN. An if-necessary game 3 would take place on Sunday, May 24 at a time to be determined.
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The Bruins (50-8) added four more home runs to their NCAA record total, which now stands at 193, thanks to home runs by Grant (her NCAA-record 40th of the year), Rylee Slimp, Kaniya Bragg and Soo-Jin Berry. Eight different UCLA players homered at least once across the team's three Regional games.
ย
"I'm so proud of this team and their commitment to excellence, the standard, how they play for each other and with each other," said The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "Just some big time moments from Bruins who have put a lot of work in. I'm very proud of Taylor's (Tinsley's) resilience; just the ability to do whatever she can to be able to help this team. She got stronger through the weekend. I'm proud of that; that's good news for us."
ย
Starting her third straight game in the circle, Tinsley allowed just two hits and one earned run over a 6.0-inning complete game performance. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native picked up her 30th win of the season, becoming the first Bruin to reach that mark since Ally Cardin 2015. She is the eighth different Bruin pitcher in program history to record a 30-win campaign.
ย
The performance also marked Tinsley's 22nd complete-game outing of the season. She is the second Bruin hurler in the last 16 seasons to record 20-plus complete games in a season (other: Rachel Garcia in 2018).
ย
UCLA took advantage of a two-out error in the third inning to jump ahead 2-0. After a fielding error allowed Jolyna Lamar to reach base, Slimp hit her 15th home run of the season.
ย
The Gamecocks (32-28) got themselves in an unenviable position in the top of the fifth after Berry led off with a single, and the next two batters were put on base via hit-by-pitch and a four-pitch walk. With the bases full, Jori Heard came in for Emma Friedel to pitch to Grant. The Bruin slugger greeted Heard with an opposite field grand slam, the seventh of her career, to break the game open. Grant's grand slam puts her one home run away from UCLA's career record of 90, held by Stacey Nuveman.
ย
"Breaking records, setting records, just playing big on this stage is what this girl [Grant] came here to do, and I'm just so proud she had the opportunity with the bases loaded to actually get a pitch. That was awesome," said Inouye-Perez.
GRANT SLAM FOR 40.
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 18, 2026
??: ESPN
??: https://t.co/Q5hqjvNBo9#GoBruins | @ChefMeganCookin pic.twitter.com/I5Jiy3pbgf
After South Carolina scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, Grant found herself in another bases-loaded situation in the top of the sixth. A double by Alexis Ramirez, single by Lamar and another walk to Slimp, loaded them up, and Grant delivered once again with a two-RBI single to center field to make the score 8-1. Jordan Woolery followed with a double down the left field line that plated two more. A Bri Alejandre RBI single scored Woolery to increase the lead to 11-1, and Bragg and Berry joined the home run party with two-run shots that provided the final scoring.
SHE WAS DUE!@KaniyaBragg is the EIGHTH different Bruin to homer this Regional!
โ UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 18, 2026
??: ESPN
??: https://t.co/Q5hqjvNBo9#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/ykxCX6ZBcY
The Bruins will host UCF in next week's NCAA Super Regional from May 22-24. Game 1 of the Best-of-3 series will take place on Friday, May 22 at 6 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at 6 p.m. PT and will air on ESPN. An if-necessary game 3 would take place on Sunday, May 24 at a time to be determined.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tinsley, Taylor (30-6)
L: Jori Heard (12-13)
Batting:
2B: Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Alejandre, Bri 1 ; Ramirez, Alexis 2
HR: Slimp, Rylee 1 ; Grant, Megan 1 ; Bragg, Kaniya 1 ; Berry, Soo-Jin 1
RBI: Slimp, Rylee 2 ; Grant, Megan 6 ; Woolery, Jordan 2 ; Alejandre, Bri 1 ; Bragg, Kaniya 2 ; Berry, Soo-Jin 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Slimp, Rylee 3 ; Grant, Megan 1 ; Meoรฑo, Saydrie 1 ; Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Alejandre, Bri 1 ; Bragg, Kaniya 1 ; Ramirez, Alexis 1 ; Mercado, Jaella Ann 1 ; Berry, Soo-Jin 2 ; Lamar, Jolyna 3
HBP: Grant, Megan 1 ; Lamar, Jolyna 1
Batting:
RBI: Quincee Lilio 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nia McKnight 1
HBP: Kai Byars 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
6
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballHighlights - UCLA Softball vs. South Carolina (May 17, 2026)
Sunday, May 17
UCLA Softball Press Conference - Coach Inouye-Perez, Megan Grant, Taylor Tinsley (May 17, 2026)
Sunday, May 17
UCLA Softball Press Conference - Coach Inouye-Perez, Soo-Jin Berry, Taylor Tinsley (May 16, 2026)
Saturday, May 16
Highlights - UCLA Softball vs. South Carolina (May 16, 2026)
Saturday, May 16