OKLAHOMA CITY — UCLA had loads of alternatives Saturday to avenge final season’s early departure from the Girls’s Faculty World Collection.
However the Bruins, who walked off with a win in opposition to Oregon early Friday morning, didn’t duplicate the identical magic in opposition to a well-known foe — Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady — because the solar started to set on Devon Park.
Canady, the hard-throwing former Stanford ace who reached the nationwide semifinals twice with the Cardinal and knocked out UCLA in 2024, pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks to assist safe a 3-1 win for the Crimson Raiders and a spot in Monday’s semifinals.
The Bruins stranded 5 runners in opposition to Canady — three within the second inning and two extra within the seventh — and fell sufferer to a steal of residence they didn’t see coming.
Again-to-back singles by Alexis Ramirez and Rylee Slimp to guide off the seventh gave UCLA hope in opposition to Canady. However Kaniya Bragg popped out to second, pinch-hitter Sofia Mujica struck out and Slimp was tagged out to finish the sport.
“Hard-fought battle, and they played their game,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez stated. “I prepared our girls that they would do whatever it takes to be able to get a run on the board, but didn’t prepare them for the opportunity to steal home. With that, gutsy. It worked.
“But I’m proud of my team. I’m proud of how they fought. I’m proud of how they played. We did what we do, and the quality at-bats that we had, the ability to put balls in play, and great teams put themselves in a position to win, and we were one swing away from winning that ballgame again.”
The Bruins (55-12) now should journey a special path if they will problem for a thirteenth nationwide title. UCLA performs Tennessee on Sunday at midday (PDT) and should win to increase its season.
Taylor Tinsley (15-5) pitched a four-hitter with one stroll and two strikeouts for UCLA, which scored on a solo residence run by Bragg, a freshman, within the fifth to tie it.
UCLA’s Rylee Slimp reacts after getting a base hit in opposition to Texas Tech on Saturday.
(Vera Nieuwenhuis / Related Press)
“It’s honestly an honor just to be a part of this team and just being able to play with all these amazing players and also being able to play against them,” Bragg stated. “Just like having the confidence in myself and knowing that somebody else is going to have my back if I don’t have my own just gives me the confidence to like be able to know that I can do it, and if I don’t, somebody else will.”
Texas Tech (52-12) wants only one win to achieve the championship collection. The Crimson Raiders, of their first World Collection look, will face both four-time defending champion Oklahoma or Oregon, who play Sunday.
“I guess you’ve got to start everything with NiJa in the circle,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco stated. “She’s just so fantastic, and I thought she pitched a gem of a game. I thought she did a tremendous job against a very good hitting team. And in a World Series strike zone, I thought she was outstanding.”
Canady, final season’s USA Softball collegiate participant of the yr for Stanford, entered the switch portal and signed a $1 million NIL deal to move to Texas Tech.
She sailed by the primary inning however struggled within the second in opposition to UCLA. Megan Grant walked, Slimp bunted for a single and Bragg walked to load the bases with one out. Canady responded by placing out Taylor Stephens on a change-up and getting Kaitlyn Terry to floor right into a pressure play at residence to finish the risk.
Tinsley pitched no-hit ball by 4 innings. However Lauren Allred singled to guide off the fifth for Texas Tech’s first hit earlier than Canady helped herself with a double down the proper discipline line to place runners at second and third with one out. The following hitter, Demi Elder, grounded to first and Allred was tagged out making an attempt to attain. Pinch runner Makayla Garcia then stole residence to present the Crimson Raiders a 1-0 lead.
With Victoria Valdez on the plate, Garcia took off from third base apparently unnoticed by catcher Ramirez, who threw the ball to Tinsley earlier than Garcia slid by her legs to to achieve the plate.
The benefit was short-lived. Bragg homered to proper discipline off Canady in UCLA’s half of the inning to even the rating. However Tech answered with a solo homer by Hailey Toney to retake the lead, after which added some insurance coverage within the seventh with an RBI single by Raegan Jennings to make it 3-1.
Now the Bruins flip their sights towards Tennessee and their hard-throwing pitcher, Karlyn Pickens.
“I let them be them,” Inouye-Perez stated. “A big part of it is the energy and the belief and the excitement. This is a fun tournament. It’s not about you have to win and you have to clutch up. Yes, we know that, it’s captain obvious. Your ability to have fun and enjoy this. You’re here. You’re celebrating playing on the biggest stage, and they’ve earned the right to be here. So I let them be them.
“That’s my goal is getting the team to settle in to play their game. With the youth, it’s important to keep them loose and not get caught up in what just happened, what just happened, and we kind of get to the next pitch. When you see that, that gives me great confidence as a coach that we’re going to settle in and play our game.”
