UCLA softball has real blast on senior day by routing Oregon

“We definitely feed off each other,” Woolery said of a teamwide power display in which a school-record eight players have tallied double digits in homers. “It’s contagious, for sure.”

UCLA senior softball players Jordan Woolery, Taylor Tinsley and Megan Grant take part in the festivities Sunday, awaiting ceremonial first pitches from their mothers. UCLA Athletics/Mac Brown

What it means

The Bruins bounced back from a rare two-game losing streak and regained some momentum heading into the postseason.

Woolery also added to another school record thanks to her homer. Her 106 RBIs lead the nation.

Turning point

With her team teetering in the third inning, Tinsley entered with two runners on base and two out.

She stranded both by getting Oregon’s Ayanna Shaw to fly out to center field as part of her best outing in the series.

“I feel like I definitely settled in today,” Tinsley said. “Obviously, I didn’t really have my best stuff the last two days.”

Did you see that?

Timea Gardiner and Amanda Muse, Grant’s teammates from the national championship UCLA women’s basketball team, came to cheer on the slugger alongside several scout team players and staffers.

“It just shows the support and who they are,” said Grant, who did not participate in senior day in her other sport because she had already switched over to softball. “It’s beyond basketball for them, it’s just seeing me shine — I really appreciate that.”

MVP

Along with Alejandre, the Bruins might have identified another great slugger in Garcia, the redshirt freshman shortstop whose two-run homer to center field in the first inning was just the start of her big day.

Garcia drove in two more runs with a single through the left side of the infield as part of UCLA’s six-run second inning. Garcia has 16 homers this season.

Up next

UCLA opens play in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday in College Park, Md.