Tag: UCLA Bruins Softball

UCLA remain alive in WCWS tournament after loss to Oklahoma

UCLA remains alive in WCWS tournament after loss to Oklahoma, Will play Alabama Sunday in elimination game.

It was a rough day at the plate for the Bruins on Saturday. Falling to the No. 2 seeded Oklahoma Sooners 1-0, the Bruins only mustered two hits while striking out 11 times.

After scoring 18 runs in their last three games dating back to the NCAA Super Regionals, UCLA’s offense cooled off significantly against the Sooners. The only two Bruins contributing hits in the afternoon were sophomores, Jordan Wooley and Megan Grant.

Despite the Bruins’ struggles on offense, UCLA’s pitching was a force all game long. Three-time champion Tiare Jennings’ solo home run was all the Sooners needed to hold on for the win and advance to the next round.

First-year pitcher Kaitlyn Terry went four innings, allowing three hits, three walks, and striking out four in an impressive playoff appearance.

Next: UCLA Bruins vs Stanford Cardinal

When: Sunday, June 2

Time: 4 pm ET (1 pm PT)

TV: ESPN U

The Bruins now move on to Stanford in the Elimination Bracket on Sunday, which they swept back in April.

Oklahoma Sooners beat UCLA Bruins 1-0

Kelly Maxwell recorded a career high 11 strikeouts as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the UCLA Bruins 1-0 in the Women’s College World Series.

The No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners softball team came into a marquee matchup against fellow softball blue-blood UCLA after beating Duke on Thursday. Saturday’s game against the No. 6 Bruins was a much closer battle, but the Sooners moved on to the NCAA semifinals with a 1-0 win.

After a scoreless first two innings, OU struck first with a solo home run by [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

It was Jenningsโ€™ 96th-career home run, which put her in third on the all-time list, passing former Sooner [autotag]Lauren Chamberlain[/autotag]. Jennings trails only Miami (OH)’s Karli Spaid and OU legend [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag].

The story of the rest of the game was Oklahoma’s [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]. The pitcher shut down the Bruin offense with a career-high 11 strikeouts and pitched a gem of a shutout.

UCLA managed to get runners in scoring position in the third and sixth innings, but Maxwell’s career day turned the Bruins away at every turn. The top of the sixth inning, in particular, may have been Maxwell’s finest moment. With two on base for the Bruins, she forced a pop out and got a strikeout to thwart the UCLA threat.

Maxwell faced UCLA’s All-American Maya Brady four times on the afternoon and got the better of Brady each time. The first three were strikeouts before forcing a groundout that ended the game in the top of the seventh.

The Bruins will face Stanford in an elimination game on Sunday night, while the Sooners will wait until Monday for their next game.

[autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag]’s team is one win away from the championship series, and their next game will come against either Alabama or the loser of Saturday night’s Florida–Texas game.

Contact/Follow usย @SoonersWireย on X, and like our page onย Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

UCLA Softball star Sharlize Palacios named All-American

All-American honors for Sharlize.

Sharlize Palacios was named by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association to the second-team all-American squad. Palacios has been a massive part of the successful run for the UCLA Bruins.

The transfer from Arizona is in her final season of collegiate softball and has been going out with a bang. She hit .381 this season and has clubbed 20 home runs, and drove in 57 runs.

This is just one of many accolades for the Bruins catcher. She has been named All Pac-12 four times, was on the 2021 Pac-12 all-freshman team, and twice during the season was the conference player of the week.

This news came alongside the news of Bruins teammate Maya Brady being named as a first-team All-American. It was the third time Brady was named to this spot.

Both Brady and Palacios are in the final season with the UCLA softball team. The Bruins are looking for their 14th title in school history. They have also been runner-up seven times.

UCLA softball facing Oklahoma next in Women’s College World Series

UCLA vs. Oklahoma next.

After the thrilling 4-1 win for the UCLA Bruins Softball team, their next opponent is set for the College World Series. The Bruins will meet up against the Oklahoma Sooners. This matchup will feature two of the greatest college softball programs in the history of the sport.

Oklahoma made quick and easy work of the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday. Oklahoma scored four runs in the third inning, which came after falling behind 1-0. The Sooners added 3 more in the fourth and two in the sixth to walk it off in six.

Jayda Coleman and Alyssa Brito had two hits, while Kinzie Hansen drove home three. Hansen, Alynah Torres, and Cydney Sanders all went deep for the Sooners. Kierston Deal picked up the win, going 2.1 innings, and allowing just 2 hits.

Oklahoma is looking for a four-peat. The Sooners won the national title in 2021, 2022, and 2023. They have won 7 in school history. Two other times, the Sooners were runner-up. Patty Gasso is the head coach and in her 30th season.

The game is slated for 2:00 pm local time, noon PST on Saturday. This is the first game of the day. The other game will feature the Florida Gators and against the Texas Longhorns.

Photos from UCLA softball’s Women’s College World Series win over Alabama

Here are some of the best photos from the UCLA softball Women’s College World Series win over Alabama on Thursday.

The UCLA Bruins softball team had to wait a bit to get the game started at the start of the Women’s College World Series. A weather delay pushed the start time back a little bit, but the Bruins were able to walk away with a 4-1 victory thanks to a clutch three-run home run by Jordan Woolery.

Kaitlyn Taylor got the start, but Woolery was the hero in this game.

As UCLA’s impressive season keeps on going, here are some of the best photos from UCLA’s opening series win over Alabama. The net game will be on Saturday with the opponent yet to be determined.

Jordan Woolery homer leads UCLA Softball to Women’s College World Series opening win

Bruins take the first game thanks to Jordan Woolery heroics.

It continues to be a fun ride for the UCLA Bruins Women’s Softball team. Following a weather delay of more than 60 minutes, the UCLA Bruins and Alabama Crimson Tide got the College World Series party started. The Bruins beat Alabama 4-1 to keep the winning going and move on to Saturday.

Kaitlyn Terry, freshman lefthanded pitcher threw just 11 pitches in the first inning, including 9 strikes, as she had a relatively easy first inning, seeing just an infield single.

The Bruins, in the third inning, saw Janelle Meono get hit by a pitch, followed by a Maya Brady base hit to right field.ย  Jadelyn Allchin singled through the right side and scored Meono to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Sharlize Palacios hit into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

Alabama got a one-out walk in the fourth inning, but Palacios took care of the runner stealing for the second out of the game. Maya Brady applied the tag for the out. Terry got a strikeout to end the top of the 4th.

The Crimson Tide threatened after a hit-by-pitch in the top half of the 6th, but Tinsley was able to slam the door shut, setting up an opportunity for the Bruins to take the lead in the bottom half. Maya Brady started the bottom of the 6th with an infield single. After bunting her to second, the Crimson Tide did not throw Sharlize Palacios a strike, setting up first and second, 1 out for Megan Grant.ย  Grant struck out looking. That set up the play of the game, as sophomore Jordan Woolery hit her 10th home run of the season to go up 4-1 after 6 innings.

Tinsley slammed the door in the 7th for the Bruins win. UCLA won the game with just four hits. Alabama came away with 6 hits.

The College Softball World Series will continue on Friday with more action. The four losers of Thursday’s games will look to stay alive. UCLA gets back to action on Saturday as they take on the winner of Duke and Oklahoma. The game is slated for 3 pm local time and will be aired on ABC.

The finals of the College Softball World Series is slated for Wednesday, June 5th, Thursday, June 6th, and Friday, June 7th.

UCLA Bruins continue to dominate College Softball

UCLA softball has been dominant.

The beat goes on for the UCLA Bruins Softball team.ย  In their final season as members of the Pac-12, they are heading back to the College World Series. In Kelly Inouye-Perez’s 17th season, this will be her 10th trip to Oklahoma City for the main event. This will be the 33rd in school history for the Bruins, more than any other program in College Softball.

The Bruins are seeking their 14th NCAA Title, but their first since the 2019 season. Inouye-Perez has two during her time, the 2010 and 2019 teams.ย  A season ago, the Bruins lost out on reaching the College World Series, and lost in the Regional, despite their 52-7 record.

Catcher Sharlize Palacios has been on fire with the bat for the Bruins. He hit home runs in each of the Super Regional wins against Georgia. She now has 20 bombs on the season with 11 of them over her last 18 games. Palacios was thrilled following the game and mostly relieved:

โ€œIt feels so rewarding to just be able to hug them and say weโ€™re going to finish it at OKC.โ€

Throwing to Palacios was Taylor Tinsley, who grew up, and played her High School softball in Georgia. She tossed a complete game. According to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times, when the Bruins arrive in Oklahoma City, they will take on another SEC foe in 14th-seeded Alabama.

UCLA softball unveils new College World Series uniforms

New softball uniforms for College World Series.

The UCLA softball team got some new threads this week ahead of the College World Series.

After a Top-25 finish in the collegiate poll and posting. 42-10 record, the Bruins are off to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the post-season. Led by shortstop Maya Brady and catcher Sharlize Palacios’ combined 37 home runs, the Bruins capped off their season as the six-seed in the bracket tapped to play #14 Alabama.

In a post by the NCAA Softball X account, a video shows the Bruins in their new Nike uniforms donning the College World Series patch as well as the Pac-12 logo, the last time they will wear the patch.

The Bruins’ year in softball, in many ways, mirrors how Cori Close and the Bruins basketball team fared this past season. Both teams can win in multiple ways, the Bruins should have a long run in the College World Series in pursuit of their 14th NCAA title.

Emma Malabuyo earns US Olympic Spot

Emma earns an Olympics spot. Well done!

Emma Malabuyo of the UCLA Bruins Women’s Gymnastic team will have[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media] the opportunity to participate in Paris for the 2024 Olympic games. She placed third in Uzbekistan on Friday in the Asian Championships.

She scored the highest all-around score among the athletes, eligible to head to the Olympics with a 50.398.

Earlier this season, Malabuyo just missed on a chance to head to the World Cup. Her scores in Uzbekistan were 13.033 on the value, 11.466 on uneven bars, 12.566 on balance beam, and 13.333 on her floor routine.

The 21-year-old from Mountain View California committed to UCLA in the fall of 2019, and has been a key member of the squad since 2020.

Malabuyo was thrilled with her performance and had this to say after:

“I’m just so overwhelmed. I’m speechless. I think I’m still shaking just hearing the news. And I’m still like, ‘Is it real?’ Like, I still can’t believe it just because it’s been such a long and arduous path to get here. I’m in shock and I can’t believe it.”

The Paris Olympics will get started this summer. The first day of the events is July 26th, and it will finish on August 11th. Nearly 10,500 athletes will participate in the games.

 

Gabriela Jaquez records first run scored of UCLA Softball career

A run scored for Gabriela.

The story of Gabriela Jaquez really became real on Thursday, as she scored her first run as a member of the UCLA Bruins Softball team. She ran for catcher Sharlize Palacios and did her job.ย  Jordan Woolery hit a three-run home run to dead center field, and Jaquez crossed home plate.

The Bruins went on to win Game 1 of the Super Regional 8-0 over Georgia.ย  On Friday, Jaquez did not get into the game, but the Bruins rolled again, 6-1 over the Bulldogs.

Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez had this to say following the win on Friday:

“It’s been a challenging journey. We have trusted the process. We flipped a corner, and our goal was to be the best at the end, and here we are. I’m just proud of every single Bruin being able to get the win, not only here in Supers, but to do it in two is saying a statement. We’re ready to play and I can’t wait to get back on the stage with this team.”

The Bruins are now heading to the College Softball. The games will get started on Thursday, May 30th from Oklahoma City.

Jaquez was on the basketball team this past season and scored 10 points and recorded 5.6 rebounds per game. She played in 30 minutes, and scored 14 in her final game of the season, a loss in the NCAA Tournament to LSU.