This post was updated May 30 at 3:30 p.m.

The journey to a championship can be tumultuous.

Whether it’s the path that upended the Bruins last season or the lightning delay that moved Thursday’s start back two hours, the trek is never easy.

The wait was more than worth it for sophomore infielder Jordan Woolery, when lightning struck in the form of her bat.

“I just don’t let the moment get to me,” Woolery said. “We could have played for the rest of the day if we had to.”

Behind Woolery’s sixth inning game-winning three-run home run, No. 6 seed UCLA softball (43-10, 17-4 Pac-12) defeated No. 14 seed Alabama (38-19, 10-14 SEC) by a score of 4-1, advancing to the winners’ bracket of the Women’s College World Series.

Woolery’s blast, however, came when victory was fading for the Bruins.

After Alabama tied the game in the fifth, the UCLA lineup needed a spark in the sixth frame.

Postseason veteran shortstop Maya Brady took first on an infield single – the first leadoff hitter for the Bruins to reach base in an inning. In the next at-bat, graduate student Jadelyn Allchin sacrifice bunted the redshirt senior over to second.

With the threat of redshirt senior catcher Sharlize Palacios up, the Crimson Tide opted to intentionally walk the power-hitting backstop, bringing up the sophomore core of utility Megan Grant and Woolery.

“It’s a smart move, Shar is a hot hitter,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “But I love what we have behind them. … It’s just going to provide opportunity for those behind her to be able to have that big moment.”

After Grant struck out unceremoniously, the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year rose to the occasion.

On a 1-1 count, Woolery swung and lifted a ball deep into left field, giving her pitching staff the winning run and a pair of insurance runs.

“I just wanted to have Megan’s back,” Woolery said. “She’s had my back all year long. So seeing her go down, I wanted to step up and be there for her, even if I didn’t get the outcome.”

The Bruins’ pitching staff held the Crimson Tide to just one run in the contest, continuing their strong postseason run.

Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Terry was scoreless through four innings in her WCWS debut when she allowed a single to begin the fifth.

Inouye-Perez – who has spoken highly of the “tag-team” dynamic between her pitchers – decided it was time for a change to hold the one-run lead, bringing in sophomore pitcher Taylor Tinsley for another WCWS debut.

“Coming in and having KT’s back definitely was a lot, just looking around and seeing how many people are there,” Tinsley said.

But a sac-bunt, a single and a four-pitch walk loaded the bases – Tinsley had herself a jam.

While she followed the walk by inducing a pop-up after falling behind in a 3-0 count, the next batter shot a single into right field – tying the game.

Tinsley acclimated from there on. In the sixth and seventh the sophomore righty conceded zero hits, striking out two.

“To see her settle in and find that pitch at the end are the things that make me proud as a coach – that they can find a way to just play their game in big moments,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s not easy. It’s a big stage. There’s a lot on the line. But the fact that they did do that is a great sign for the rest of the tournament.”

The win is the Bruins’ first in the WCWS in 724 days, and the first for the Bruins’ freshman and sophomore core.

UCLA will play No. 2 seed Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 p.m. PT with a spot in the WCWS semifinal on the line.