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New York Times
5 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Tennessee overcomes controversial call, UCLA to reach WCWS semis
After a controversial call at home plate helped UCLA take Tennessee to extra innings, the Lady Volunteers set out to prove one of the oldest arguments in sports: Ball don't lie. In the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, Laura Mealer singled to left field, bringing in the winning run and helping Tennessee stave off elimination with a 5-4 victory over the Bruins on Sunday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The win set up Tennessee for a date with No. 6 Texas in the semifinals on Monday. Meanwhile, UCLA's season is over. 'I just wanted to stay simple. I have an excellent team behind me, and I was really trying to pass the bat no matter what happens,' Mealer said. this is for your appendix g 📺 ABC — Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) June 1, 2025 The Volunteers, who just won their third game of this WCWS, looked like they were going to beat UCLA in regulation thanks to a mistake on the basepaths by the Bruins. After hitting the game-tying home run in the top of the seventh, UCLA's Megan Grant overstepped home plate as she approached the teammates who had gathered around her to celebrate. Almost immediately after Grant stomped on the ground, as the Bruins started to gleefully walk back to the dugout, teammate Alexis 'Lefty' Ramirez pointed at Grant and took her by the arm, assisting her back over to touch home plate. TIE BALL GAME 🤯#WCWS x 📺 ABC / @UCLASoftball — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 1, 2025 According to NCAA rules, a teammate cannot physically assist a runner to home plate unless that player is also a runner. Since Ramirez was not on base when Grant hit her home run, she was ineligible to help Grant home. Jordan Woolery, who was on base at the time of Grant's homer, was the only player who could've done so. Advertisement Tennessee challenged the call that the runner was safe at home. After a lengthy review, the umpire admitted that Grant did not touch home plate but said that the type of play is not reviewable. Grant was safe and the two-run homer was upheld. 'The runner did miss home plate and was assisted, however, that play is not reviewable, according to Appendix G,' the umpire said. Appendix G of the NCAA softball rulebook legislates video reviews, and which plays are subject to it. According to the section, runners missing a base and runners leaving early on a pitch are eligible for review. Rule 10 of Appendix G states that 'runners leaving the base prior to the touch on a fly ball (tagging up), runners missing a base and runners leaving early on a pitch' are eligible for review. In the 1996 Summer Olympics, Team USA's only loss of the tournament came to Australia in round-robin play due to the same play. American third baseman Dani Tyler hit a ball over the center-field wall, but after failing to touch home plate, the score remained knotted at zero. Her home run would've given the U.S. the 1-0 lead at the end of regulation, but Tyler was called out after an appeal by Australia. 'I can't imagine missing any of the plate trotting, but I was so excited I don't remember positively touching it,' Tyler said after the 1996 matchup, according to USA Today. 'I can't really tell you for sure.' Despite that play, Team USA went on to take home gold. And despite the confusion on Sunday, the Volunteers stayed alive. Tennessee advances to the national semifinals and will face Texas at noon ET on Monday. The Vols will have to beat the Longhorns twice to reach the championship series. 'We got everything left in the tank,' Mealer player. 'We're ready. We're ready to go.' This story will be updated.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UCLA softball beats Oregon in walk-off, moves on in Women's College World Series
Jessica Clements and UCLA softball finished out the evening of Women's College World Series action with a walk-off home run to defeat Oregon 4-2 on Thursday. The Bruins and the Ducks were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Bruins had the potential game-winning run on first base with two outs before Clements clinched the victory with her home run. Advertisement The ball landed just over the fence in center field and into the hands of a fan in attendance. "We just have an unwavering faith in each other and what we are doing," UCLA catcher Alexis Ramirez told NCAA sideline reporter Michella Chester after the game. Ramirez played a key role in the game for the Bruins, going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run. The Bruins held a 2-1 lead going into the final inning before the Ducks tied the game after a controversial obstruction call at home plate. Oregon's Paige Sinicki slid toward home plate but was tagged by Ramirez, who appeared to have her foot on the plate. The Ducks challenged the call and were awarded the run after the call was reversed. As a result of the victory, the Bruins will advance to the winner's bracket. Advertisement WCWS bracket 2025: Scores, schedule, matchups for NCAA softball tournament Who will UCLA softball play next? UCLA will play Texas Tech on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Texas Tech beat Ole Miss 1-0 with Lauren Allred scoring a run in the fourth inning after scoring on an error. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA softball defeats Oregon with walk-off, advances in WCWS
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA crushes San Diego State for second win in NCAA regional tournament
UCLA third baseman Jordan Woolery, fielding the ball during a game Friday, had a home run, triple and five RBIs in a victory over San Diego State on Saturday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times) The crack of the ball off Jordan Woolery's bat in the first inning sent a sharp, resounding message — the Bruins weren't going to let their opponent dictate the tone this time. Woolery, UCLA's RBI leader, went two for three with a three-run homer, a triple and five RBIs to lead the Bruins to a 10-0, six-inning shutout over San Diego State in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Regional on Saturday afternoon. Advertisement The No. 9 Bruins (51-10) cruised into Game 6 of the regional, where they'll have a chance to clinch a spot in the Super Regionals with one more win. Their opponent has yet to be determined for Sunday's 4:30 p.m. PDT first pitch. It was a complete role reversal. Just a day after UCLA's bats stayed quiet through the first four innings in an eventual victory over UC Santa Barbara, the Bruins opened their second regional matchup with intent. On the first pitch, Jessica Clements ripped a leadoff double. One pitch later, Savannah Pola dropped down a bunt and, spotting an uncovered second base, the speedy second baseman turned it into a heads-up double. With runners in scoring position, Jordan Woolery did what's become second nature — she brought them home, and did so with a bang. Advertisement Read more: UCLA softball opens NCAA regional with dominant win over UC Santa Barbara Staying patient in the box, Woolery worked the count full, waiting for a pitch she could drive. She then clobbered a high fly ball that just cleared the glove of San Diego State center fielder Julie Holcomb, sailing over the wall for a three-run homer. A candidate for national player of the year, Woolery is one of UCLA's most consistent threats near the top of the lineup. She entered the regional ranked fifth in the nation with 75 RBIs — the second-highest single-season mark in program history. Woolery added another RBI later, legging out a triple after a diving attempt by the Aztecs' right fielder missed and the ball skipped past, allowing Clements to score. The hit brought her total to six RBIs for the weekend. Advertisement In an encore to her heroics at the plate and dominance in relief the night before, Kaitlyn Terry took the mound with poise and command. The left-hander turned in a smooth outing, giving up only two hits and one walk while striking out five. Her only trouble came in the bottom of the third. A walk, an infield single and a fielding error loaded the bases, giving San Diego State a prime chance to take the lead. But Terry stayed composed. After recording two outs, Terry dug in for a seven-pitch battle with Angie Yellen — and won, inducing a routine groundout to end the inning and preserve the Bruins' lead. From there, she settled in and found her rhythm, retiring nine straight batters and striking out three, earning the complete-game shutout victory. Advertisement A six-run rally in the sixth inning sealed the game via the run rule. Kaniya Bragg opened the onslaught with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single to right field from Terry. Then, just like the night before, Megan Grant delivered the finishing blow — a two-run triple that slammed high off the center-field wall, narrowly missing a three-run homer. With the win, the Bruins notched back-to-back mercy-rule victories — their 27th of the season, extending a program record. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
