After redshirt sophomore catcher/utility Alexis Ramirez hit a go-ahead two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning, Devon Park reverberated with cheers, chants and songs from the Bruin dugout.

However, when the home plate umpire declared obstruction on Ramirez in the top of the seventh, tying the game 2-2, the cheers died soon after they started.

But with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, graduate student center fielder Jessica Clements reignited the Bruin faithful, launching a two-run walk-off home run to center field in her first career Women’s College World Series appearance. 

“This has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I never thought I’d be here, super blessed to be here,” Clements said. “I was quite honestly just looking middle, looking for a good pitch that I want to drive and just going for a base hit to keep the rally going, not trying to do too much. And I got the payoff from it.”

Conquering an overturned call that nearly sent the Bruins to the loser’s bracket, No. 9 seed UCLA softball (55-11, 17-5 Big Ten) defeated No. 16 seed Oregon (53-9, 19-3) by a score of 4-2 on Thursday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City in the opening round of the WCWS. The two-run blast marked the Bruins’ second walk-off home run in the last three games.

The crucial obstruction decision came when junior infielder Jordan Woolery fielded a ground ball and threw to Ramirez behind the plate, whose tag at home seemed to have Oregon infielder Paige Sinicki out by a good margin until a coach’s challenge and instant replay ruled that the catcher was blocking the runner from getting a fair shot at scoring.

“I don’t agree with the call period. I thought she was clearly out,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “The fact that we answered back and walked it off is what I want to walk away from this game from. I’m proud of them that they didn’t let that carry the momentum.”

Although the Bruins failed to light the scoreboard until the fourth frame, UCLA was making consistent contact with the ball. Oregon starter Lyndsey Grein, who totaled 13 strikeouts against UCLA in the two squads’ regular season series, recorded just two strikeouts through five innings Thursday.

Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Kaitlyn Terry sent four of the first seven Ducks she faced back to the dugout before Grein was able to log her first strikeout of the night against freshman designated player Sofia Mujica.

Terry said she showed the Ducks her true pitching arsenal after she gave up three earned runs through just two innings in their regular-season matchup April 20.

“It was very different this time, because they didn’t see my best the first time we played them,” Terry said. “Honestly, just attacking them with my strength and my pitches, because they just haven’t seen me how I am.”

Despite Terry’s dominance in the circle, the Ducks slowly managed to get a runner to third before center fielder Kedre Luschar sent a ground ball right past the glove of NFCA First Team All-American and junior first baseman Megan Grant to bring in the Ducks’ first run of the night.

And as senior second baseman Savannah Pola’s second consecutive hit of the game soared toward the center field wall at the bottom of the third, it seemed the Bruins would not be trailing for long. 

That was until Second Team All-American Luschar snagged what would have been Pola’s first career WCWS home run just above the center field wall, temporarily keeping the Ducks ahead by one.

“Kedre has been doing that all year, those catches, they’re not even a surprise anymore. It’s almost routine for her,” said Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi. “She’s been coming up clutch all year.”

Two Bruins on base in the bottom of the sixth chased Grein out of the circle, and she was replaced by Second Team All-American Elise Sokolsky.

Sokolsky didn’t fare much better than Grein, giving up two hits and two earned runs – including the two-run walk-off shot from Clements – in just 1.2 innings tossed.

UCLA will have a bye Friday before facing No. 12 seed Texas Tech in the winner’s bracket Saturday.