The No. 7 UCLA softball team didn’t need to tap into its Bruin Magic bag to rally for a win as it did Friday night against California Baptist.
The Bruins (49-8) coasted to a 7-2 victory over South Carolina (31-27) during their NCAA regional matchup at UCLA’s Easton Stadium Saturday, moving one win away from winning the regional.
South Carolina scored the game’s first run in the second inning, with right fielder Jamie MacKay hitting a home run off Taylor Tinsley.
The Bruins’ veteran pitcher responded by striking out the Gamecocks’ Tate Davis and Natalie Heath to close the inning.
After giving up nine runs in one inning before UCLA rallied for a 12-11 win Friday, Tinsley bounced back with a strong performance against the Gamecocks Saturday. She gave up two runs on seven hits during seven innings while striking six and walking one.
“In the postseason, one of the most important things you can do is have short-term memory,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “I am proud of how Taylor came out and played a great game.”
UCLA’s bats backed up Tinsley, with Bri Alejandre hitting a two-run home run to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead in the second inning.
Soo-Jin Berry hit a double that scored two runs during the same inning, extending UCLA’s lead to 4-1. Then right fielder Megan Grant, who had former NCAA national champion basketball teammates Kiki Rice and Amanda Muse in the crowd cheering her on, drilled a two-run home run for a 6-1 lead.
It was Grant’s 39th home run, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home record. Grant broke the record during the Big Ten title game and is being chased by Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells, who has hit 37 home runs so far this season.
Jin-Berry was watching the Bruins celebrate a run to the Women’s College World Series while playing for Iowa last season. The transfer said she was grateful for the chance to play for UCLA this season.
“It’s awesome to get an inside look at what it’s like to be great. The standard that the coaches hold for us and the standard we have for each other, there is nothing like it,” Jin-Berry said.
Tinsley gave up her second home run of the afternoon in the third inning to make the score 5-2.
The hero from Friday’s win, shortstop Aleena Garcia, joined the scoring spree with a home run in the fifth give the Bruins a 7-2 lead that Tinsley and the UCLA defense protected the rest of the way.
UCLA will face the winner of Cal State Fullerton versus California Baptist on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for a spot in an NCAA super regional the Bruins would host should they advance.
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