Softball claims UCLA’s 118th NCAA title with 5-4 victory over Oklahoma

This post was updated June 4 at 10:05 p.m.

Kinsley Washington stepped up to the plate with the championship run on second.

“Just whatever it took, if it was a blooper, if it was a home run, if it was a bunt, I really didn’t care, just anything to get it done,” Washington said.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the sophomore second baseman hit a line drive to left center field, scoring junior pinch runner Jacqui Prober to give No. 2 seed UCLA softball (56-6, 20-4 Pac-12) the 5-4 win over No. 1 seed Oklahoma (57-6, 18-0 Big 12) in the Women’s College World Series on Tuesday. The win marks UCLA’s 118th national title and the program’s first championship since 2010.

“They had fun, they had each other’s backs, we knew we were going to throw punches today and that they would throw punches, and we had to punch back, and they literally got it done on this stage,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “They showed up, they competed, and it’s even more rewarding knowing that we were able to throw the last punch.”

The Bruins picked up right where they left off in game one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead.

After UCLA hit four home runs in Monday’s victory, junior center fielder Bubba Nickles and sophomore shortstop Briana Perez went back-to-back in the first two at-bats. The Bruins then loaded the bases on an error, single and walk, but were unable to capitalize, leaving all three on to go to the second.

Just as in the first game of the finals, Oklahoma answered, hitting a home run of its own in the third inning to cut the lead in half.

UCLA immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, as redshirt sophomore right fielder Aaliyah Jordan drove a solo home run to make it 3-1 – the second day in a row that she’s hit it out of the park.

The Bruins then loaded the bases on a walk, a single and a bunt single, but were again unable to convert it into any runs.

Bruin mistakes allowed the Sooners to close the gap in the fourth, as a wild pitch advanced the first runner from first to second, allowing her to score on another single. A passed ball from senior catcher Paige Halstead put that runner into scoring position, and a line drive to left brought her in to make it 3-3.

The Sooners would load the bases later in the inning, but redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia was able to get out of the jam to limit the damage to just the two runs.

UCLA had an opportunity to get the runs back in the bottom of the inning when it put two runners on, but again couldn’t capitalize. Through the first four innings of the game, the only runs for the Bruins came on solo home runs, as the team left eight runners on base.

It was senior third baseman Brianna Tautalafua who broke the stalemate with a home run to left field to put UCLA back on top. After having gone 0-for-26 heading into the championship series, Tautalafua has had hits in four of her last five at-bats, including another home run in Monday’s blowout.

But with two outs in the seventh, Sooner first baseman Shay Knighten – who hit a home run in the loss the day before – extended the game by hitting a home run just over the fence in center to bring the Bruins up in the bottom of the seventh.

Garcia was in the circle again for UCLA, having started every game of the WCWS so far and pitching all but two of the total innings.

She also went the distance in Tuesday’s game, pitching the full seven innings and taking her fifth victory of the tournament.

“Every run or home run I gave up this week, I just looked at my teammates and said, ‘We’re going to be OK,’” Garcia said. “(Oklahoma’s) a tough team to throw to, but I’m just super proud of (Washington) coming up in that huge moment … and getting it done.”