During the Senior Day festivities at UCLA, mothers of Megan Grant, Jordan Woolley, and Taylor Tinsley had the honor of throwing the first pitch to their daughters.
Some pitches went better than others, I suppose.
Tinsley, the Bruins’ ace, humorously rated her mom’s throw, commenting, “I’d say it’s about a 6.5 out of 10. She gave me a short hop.”
As the Bruins celebrated a historic graduating class, they also achieved a significant victory, overwhelming No. 11 Oregon with an 11-3 win in a five-inning run-rule game at Easton Stadium.
Tinsley (26-5) pitched 2 and 1/3 scoreless innings, bouncing back after some struggles in the earlier games of the series, which had snapped UCLA’s 20-game home winning streak.
Grant contributed with two hits, one being a double down the right field line.
Woolley arguably made a standout contribution, hitting a two-run home run, part of a historic record for the team. Grant hit 35 home runs, Woolley hit 33, and freshman Bri Alejandre followed suit with 20.
“Magical moments happen on Senior Day,” remarked UCLA coach Kelly Inouye Perez. “It’s kind of crazy—things like this happen all the time.”
Grant’s home run total puts her second to Oklahoma’s Kendall Wells, who has 36. Both are vying for the NCAA record of 37 homers set by Arizona’s Laura Espinoza back in 1995.
The Bruins (45-7 overall, 20-4 Big Ten) homered four times against the Ducks (40-11, 20-4), elevating their record total to 173, which also ties with Oklahoma for the most in the nation. Riley Slim, Alina Garcia, and Sofia Mujica also made their marks.
“We definitely push each other,” Woolley commented on the team’s synergy, mentioning how contagious their success is when it comes to hitting. “It’s certainly contagious.”
The Bruins were able to shake off a rare two-game losing streak, gaining momentum just as they head into the postseason.
Woolley set another school record with her home run count; her 106 RBIs currently lead the nation.
What it means
The team rebounded strongly, crucial for building energy as they look toward the postseason.
Turning point
In a pivotal moment during the third inning, Tinsley entered when two runners were on base and two outs loomed.
She managed to get Ayanna Shaw from Oregon to fly out to center, marking a high in her performance for the series.
“I feel completely calm today,” Tinsley said. “Obviously, I haven’t had the best of things the last two days.”
Did you see that?
Teammates Timea Gardiner and Amanda Muse from UCLA’s national championship women’s basketball team came to show their support for Grant. Along with them were several players and staff from the scout team.
“It just shows support and who they are,” Grant expressed, acknowledging how meaningful it is. “I’m really grateful for them. It’s so much more than basketball for them.”
MVP
With Alejandre, another strong slugger seems to be Garcia. The redshirt freshman shortstop hit a two-run homer to center field in the first inning, setting the tone for her big day.
Garcia followed up with another hit—a single that drove in two runs—during a six-run second inning. She has now hit 16 home runs this season.
To the next
UCLA is set to begin the Big Ten Tournament this Thursday in College Park, Maryland.
