UCLA emphatically ended Arkansas softball’s season Friday night at the Women’s College World Series, turning Devon Park into a home run derby. The Bruins defeated the Razorbacks 11-0 in an elimination game.
The Bruins (53-9) added four more home runs to their Division I single-season record, bringing their total to 206. The game concluded in the fifth inning due to the run-rule.
UCLA advanced into another elimination game. The game is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. against the loser of a winners’ bracket game between Alabama and Nebraska.
Bruins’ Big Second Inning
The writing was on the wall after a nine-run second inning for the Bruins. The second inning featured 14 at-bats, six hits, four walks and one hit-by-pitch. The big inning forced a pair of pitching changes during the near-30-minute half-inning.
UCLA got on the scoreboard first with a lead-off home run by Aleena Garcia in the second inning. Garcia’s homer travelled 241 feet.
After a 1-out hit-by-pitch and single, Soo-Jin Berry hit a 3-run home run, which put UCLA ahead 4-0.
Arkansas’ Disappointment
The loss brought an end to a storybook year for the Razorbacks (47-13), who went 0-2 in their program-first trip to the WCWS. They lost to Nebraska in a 5-3 10-inning thriller.
“We left heartbroken,” Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel said. “We felt like we turned the page. It wasn’t our night. It’s softball. Sometimes shit happens. It happened tonight. UCLA, whenever you’re not at your best, they’re going to expose you. They exposed us tonight.
“Well, that sucked,” Deifel said to begin her press conference. “They played a really tough game tonight.”
Grant’s Record-Breaking Home Run
UCLA star right fielder Megan Grant launched her 42nd bomb of the season. It was her 91st homer as a Bruin to set a program career record.
“When Megan hits home runs, I back up,” Garcia said. “Megan is different. … She’s the biggest killer up to bat.”
The Bruins capped the inning with a double by Kaniya Bragg that hit the top of the fence in right field, spun up it into the air and fell back into play. It plated a pair of runs and gave UCLA a 9-0 lead.
“I’d like to congratulate Arkansas,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “They had a phenomenal year. With that, I’m going to say this, thank God it’s double elimination. We got an opportunity to get another chance to get out here and play our game.”