This post was updated May 17 at 8:21 p.m.

Megan Grant has hit a lot of home runs this season – more than anyone has ever hit in a single season. 

But none of those had been a grand slam – until her 40th.

“It’s incredible,” Grant said. “I’m just honestly blessed to be able to say the number 40.”

No. 8 seed UCLA softball (50-8, 20-4 Big Ten) defeated South Carolina (32-28, 7-17 SEC) 15-1 in a six-inning run-rule contest in the final of the NCAA Los Angeles regional at Easton Stadium on Sunday to advance to the NCAA super regional. Senior utility Grant tied a season high with six RBIs on the day, while sophomore outfielder Rylee Slimp and senior infielder Jordan Woolery each had two to their names. 

Senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley dominated in the circle for the Bruins, holding the Gamecocks to just two hits and one run across 23 batters faced, good for her lowest hit count through at least five innings since April 10, when she also surrendered just two hits against Illinois.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez began to cry postgame when asked about what Tinsley – who rebounded this weekend after allowing nine runs in one inning Friday night – has brought to the program across her four-year Westwood career. 

Grant stepped in for her coach, who was lost for words, speaking to the love the team has for Tinsley.

UCLA got the scoring started in the top of the third inning in slugging style. 

After freshman outfielder Jolyna Lamar reached base on a fielding error by the shortstop with two outs, Slimp subsequently hit one off the scoreboard in left field to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead. 

South Carolina replaced starting pitcher Jori Heard with Emma Friedel the next inning. But Heard returned just one inning later, after the Bruins loaded the bases with no outs for the NCAA single-season home run record holder.

Grant bested Heard on just the third pitch she saw. 

She fired off a no-doubt shot as the Bruin faithful erupted into cheers for her first grand slam of the season.

“I try to keep it as simple as I can,” Grant said. “I knew there was a runner on third, so I had to do a job, especially with less than two outs. Any ball that was elevated, I was going to try to get in the air, and it just happened to go over.”

And then, it nearly happened again. 

Grant stepped up to the plate in the sixth inning with the bases loaded for her again. And while she fouled off a ball that had the distance for another grand slam, Grant settled for a casual two-RBI single. 

Then her fellow Bruin Bomber, Woolery – who had been 0-for-6 against the Gamecocks this weekend – stepped up to the plate and sent two more runs home to give the Bruins a run-rule margin.

“Jordan and Megan are professional hitters. … It’s (Woolery’s hitless run) definitely frustrating, but I would say the majority of the time they would admit that they get themselves out more than anything,” Inouye-Perez said. “But their rebound is something that is the most impressive thing.”

With base hits and two more home runs, UCLA tacked on five more runs and bat all the way around the order to score nine runs in the sixth inning, before sending the game to the eventual final half-inning with a 15-1 lead.

Tinsley – who got the start in the circle for UCLA – locked down the South Carolina lineup through the first four innings, with three three up, three down innings, and she allowed just two runners on base in the second inning. 

“She’s the ultimate competitor, she’s thrown a lot for them this year, she’s got really good presence and seems to compete really hard in the circle,” said South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard. “She got us to expand a lot in the box, really both games. I thought we swung out of the zone too much to have a lot of success off of her when it came down to the X’s and the O’s.”

In the fifth inning, she picked up two outs but allowed two on base with a walk and a hit batter, setting up South Carolina’s leadoff hitter, Quincee Lilio, to hit an RBI single. 

But unlike Friday night, Tinsley stifled the opposing lineup after allowing one run, inducing the final out of the fifth inning on a pop up.

“The biggest thing is having a short-term memory,” Tinsley said. “I obviously didn’t start the weekend off on my best foot, but (I’m) rinsing, repeating, flushing it, getting to the next pitch, getting to the next game.”

Tinsley allowed nine straight runs before recording another out in the fifth inning of the Bruins’ regional opener Friday.

But this time, Tinsley stifled the opposing lineup after allowing one run, inducing the final out of the fifth inning on a pop up.

And in the bottom of the sixth inning, working with a 14-run lead, Tinsley induced three straight outs to clinch the victory.

UCLA will host UCF in the NCAA super regional next weekend, after UCF took down No. 9 seed Florida State in the Tallahassee regional Sunday.