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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Women's College World Series: Tennessee walks off UCLA in extras to survive controversial ruling
Sunday at the NCAA Women's College World Series came with a pair of win-or-go-home games. The desperate bid to stay alive in the tournament, and advance to the semifinals, came through with plenty of thrills and drama. The first game, between No. 7 Tennessee and No. 9 UCLA, lived up to the hype. The Lady Vols walked off the Bruins with a 5-4 win in extra innings. Advertisement As if that wasn't exciting enough, Tennessee finished the job after a dramatic seventh inning where the Lady Vols blew a two-run lead, and UCLA nearly ended its season on a technicality. Tennessee struck first, with shortstop Laura Mealer hitting a two-run RBI in the first inning to get the Lady Vols on the board. UCLA tied things up in the second with a pair of solo homers from catcher Alexis Ramirez and designated player Sofia Mujica. A great defensive effort from both teams kept the score at 2-2 through the first four inning. Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens and UCLA ace Kaitlyn Terry each had seven strikeouts in the first five innings to keep things even. The Lady Vols broke through again in the bottom of the fifth inning: a huge two-run homer from third baseman Taylor Pannell gave Tennessee a 4-2 lead. The Lady Vols' hot bats kept going, with the team getting two runners on base, but Terry was able to close out the inning without any more damage. After a scoreless sixth inning, UCLA had one final chance to keep its season alive in the top of the seventh. After getting two outs, Pickens had to face the Bruins' two best hitters, Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant. Woolery hit a single to keep the momentum going, and then Grant hit a massive two-run bomb to tie the game. The heroics were nearly for naught for UCLA. While celebrating the homer, Grant stepped right over the plate, forgetting to touch it. Ramirez, who was on deck, noticed that Grant had missed the plate and led her back to step on it, but Ramirez's assistance was another violation. With two outs already, the mistake could have ended the Bruins' season right there. Advertisement Tennessee asked the officials to review the ruling, leading to a nearly 10-minute stoppage. Despite the very lengthy review, the umpires upheld the call that Grant was safe, saying that Grant did miss the plate but that the play was not reviewable, as stated by a niche addendum in the rulebook. Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly, and the Lady Vols fans, were not pleased by the ruling. But the game continued, with Tennessee quickly getting the final out and setting up a potential walk-off. Pannell nearly finished the game right from the jump, smashing a ball toward the fence that went just foul. But even with two batters on base, UCLA was able to get a crucial double play to end the inning and keep things moving into extras. The stalemate continued in the eighth inning, with both teams unable to break through despite some key chances. Advertisement With two outs in the top of the ninth, second baseman Savannah Pola and Woolery both got on base after driving singles that went just past the infield, and had the bases loaded after Pickens intentionally walked Grant. Ramirez grounded out on the next at-bat to send Tennessee back to the plate. In the bottom of the ninth, Pannell hit a double that hit the very top of the wall, and bounced back into the park — so close to a walk-off homer. (Another review confirmed the double.) After an intentional walk, and a slightly less intentional walk, from UCLA reliever Taylor Tinsley, Tennessee had the bases loaded with one out. Advertisement And then, the moment: Mealer, who gave the Lady Vols their first runs of the game, hit a beautiful single to send Pannell home and give Tennessee the 5-4 walk-off win. Tennessee will now move on to play Texas in the semifinals on Monday, but will have to beat the Longhorns twice in order to advance.


Newsweek
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Oregon vs UCLA: Live Stream Women's College Softball World Series, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Women's College World Series begins on Thursday, with Oregon and UCLA facing off in the fourth game of the day. UCLA is no stranger to the WCWS. This marks the school's 33rd time advancing to the Women's College World Series. No. 11 Oregon won the Big Ten regular season championship, and UCLA came in second in conference play. NCAA softballs sit in a bucket before the second game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns during the Championship Finals of the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series at OGE Energy Field at... NCAA softballs sit in a bucket before the second game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns during the Championship Finals of the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park on June 6, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 8-4 to take the NCAA Championship. MoreHow to Watch Oregon vs UCLA Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025 Time: 9:30 PM EDT Channel: ESPN2 Stream: Fubo (Try for free) This is the second-ever WCWS meeting between the Bruins (54-11, 17-5) and the Ducks (53-8, 19-3). Earlier this season, the Ducks took the 2025 Big Ten season series from the Bruins, winning 2-1. UCLA won back-to-back elimination games in the Super Regionals at South Carolina to advance to the WCWS. On the brink of elimination and with UCLA down to its final out of the season, junior infielder Jordan Woolery hit a two-run walk-off homer to cap a four-run rally in Game 2 against South Carolina. Woolery's homer secured the largest seventh-inning comeback in UCLA postseason history. As for Oregon, the Ducks took care of business in two games against Liberty. The two games could not have been more different. After a 3-2 win in eight innings against the Flames on Friday, the Ducks dominated Saturday with a 13-1 victory. UCLA is the only program to have won an NCAA Championship in every decade since the governing body adopted softball in 1982. UCLA has won a record 12 NCAA Championships, with the last coming in 2019. Looking to watch the College World Series? Subscribe to Fubo now to get started watching this college softball matchup. Live stream the Oregon vs. UCLA game on Fubo: Start your free trial now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.


USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Jordan Woolery? What to know of UCLA softball slugger ahead of WCWS
Who is Jordan Woolery? What to know of UCLA softball slugger ahead of WCWS Show Caption Hide Caption Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens lead WCWS players to watch The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson highlights several Women's College World Series key players to watch. UCLA softball is back in the Women's College World Series for the second consecutive season — its first as a Big Ten member — after winning the Columbia Super Regional. But that didn't look like it was going to be the case for the ninth-seeded Bruins at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 24 when they trailed No. 8 South Carolina, 4-1, going into the bottom of the seventh inning at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. That was until Bruins slugger Jordan Woolery stepped up to the plate. REQUIRED READING: Jordan Woolery hits walk-off home run vs South Carolina to keep UCLA WCWS hopes alive The Bruins' All-Big Ten First-Team selection would hit a two-run walk-off home run with two outs in the inning to give her team another day of life in the NCAA softball tournament. UCLA would then upset South Carolina in the "if necessary" Game 3 one day later for its NCAA-leading 33rd trip to the Women's College World Series. Can Woolery now continue that postseason magic in Oklahoma City and help lead UCLA to its first national championship since 2010? The first test for that will be at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday against No. 16 Oregon at Devon Park. Here's what to know on Woolery ahead of the Bruins' opening game at the Women's College World Series: Who is Jordan Woolery? Jordan Woolery is a starting infielder for UCLA softball and one of the nation's top hitters. The Walnut Creek, California, native has been a staple in the Bruins' starting lineup each of her three years in Westwood, as she has started all 177 career games in which she has appeared in. Woolery was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2023 after leading all freshmen in the conference with a .390 batting average and 10 home runs. She finished with 20 multi-hit games her freshman season at UCLA, which ranked second on the team. She followed up her stellar freshman campaign with a strong sophomore season that earned her All-Pac-12 First-Team honors. Things have taken off a bit for Woolery this season, as she has posted career-high numbers all around for the Bruins. She was named a Top 10 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, one of two Bruins who made the list. Perhaps her biggest hit of the season came in Game 2 of the Columbia Super Regional when she connected on that first-pitch fastball for a two-run walk-off home run, which ultimately extended the Bruins' season one extra day as they faced elimination. Her home run against the Gamecocks ended a 0-for-6 stint at the plate in the Columbia Super Regional for Woolery. "Coach always says the game comes back around," Woolery told the Los Angeles Times after Game 2's win. "I've had a rough two days, so it was just trusting that was eventually going to come through. I just wanted to have my teammates' backs today." Jordan Woolery stats Woolery is currently posting career-high numbers in batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.896) and on-base percentage (.504). She enters the WCWS tied for first in the country with 86 RBIs recorded on the season and in a four-way tie for seventh for home runs among all Division I hitters at 23. Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Woolery's career stats at UCLA: 2023: .390 batting average/.646 slugging percentage/.455 on-base percentage with 64 hits, 46 RBIs, 26 runs scored and 22 extra-base hits (10 home runs) .390 batting average/.646 slugging percentage/.455 on-base percentage with 64 hits, 46 RBIs, 26 runs scored and 22 extra-base hits (10 home runs) 2024: .314 batting average/.560 slugging percentage/.400 on-base percentage with 50 hits, 36 RBIS, 20 runs scored and 18 extra-base hits (10 home runs) .314 batting average/.560 slugging percentage/.400 on-base percentage with 50 hits, 36 RBIS, 20 runs scored and 18 extra-base hits (10 home runs) 2025: .415 batting average/.896 slugging percentage/.504 on-base percentage with 86 RBIs, 80 hits, 56 runs scored and 43 extra-base hits (23 home runs) Get the latest sports news delivered conveniently to your inbox. Sign up for USA TODAY Sports' daily newsletter now!


Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA enters Women's College World Series confident after rallying to reach Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY — UCLA's bid for a 13th national championship begins Thursday with a familiar opponent at the Women's College World Series. The Bruins (54-11) face Oregon at Devon Park at 6:30 p.m. (PST) on the first day of a double-elimination tournament featuring Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Texas Tech. Two finalists will play a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA softball champion beginning June 4. The matchup between UCLA and Oregon will be the 131st meeting between current Big Ten teams and former Pac-12 rivals. The Bruins have dominated the series with 97 wins. The teams played once previously in the World Series in 2015, with UCLA winning, 7-1. More recently, Oregon (53-8) won two of three at home against the Bruins in April. Only one of the games was close. The host Ducks won by scores of 3-1 and 9-0. UCLA won the second game, 8-0. 'What I learned most was our best is yet to come,' UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said Wednesday. 'We didn't play our best ball. We had a day. We had a day where we definitely showed up on day two and finished a game, but day three we didn't finish out. 'At the end of the day, you go to every series with a goal of winning the series, and we walked away knowing we just didn't play our best game. And I think that really set the tone for us getting ready to be able to come through in games like we did in regionals and super regionals because of those lessons learned.' UCLA won back-to-back elimination games in the Super Regionals at South Carolina to advance to Oklahoma City. The Bruins were down to their final out in Game 2 when Jordan Woolery hit a 2-run walk-off home run to cap a four-run rally. The homer secured the largest seventh-inning comeback in UCLA postseason history. The ninth-seeded Bruins are led by Woolery, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 finalist, and Top 25 finalist Megan Grant. The junior sluggers have combined for 48 home runs and 165 runs batted in, which leads all duos nationally. Grant and Woolery's combined RBI total is the most by a pair of UCLA players in a single season. Kaitlyn Terry and Taylor Tinsley will lead the way in the circle for the Bruins. Terry is 19-5 with a 2.62 ERA while Tinsley is 15-4 with a 2.62 ERA. In the South Carolina super regional, the pair allowed four runs on 12 hits — all singles No. 16 seed Oregon, the Big Ten regular-season champion, last played in the World Series in 2018. The Ducks bring balance to the matchup, with 85 homers and nearly three steals a game. Oregon is the only team in the NCAA ranked in the top 10 in scoring, ERA and fielding. Oregon's pitching ace is Lyndsey Grein, who is 29-2-3 with a 2.08 ERA and 134 strikeouts with 41 walks. She started all three games in the Bruins' series and didn't allow a run in 11.1 innings of work. Woolery had four hits and four RBIs in the series while Grant went 1 for 5 with a double and three walks. Both players are looking forward to the challenge of facing Grein again. 'Yeah, good pitching brings good competition,' Woolery said. 'So I think we just try to rise to the occasion. I think we're just really grateful to face more great pitching once again this weekend, and I feel like it's going to be a really great opportunity for both of us.' Grant is looking to break out on the big stage. 'It's great competition, and it's a competitive battle at the end of the day,' she said. 'Going to win some, going to lose some, but I'm excited for the next opportunity to play again.' The winner of tomorrow's game faces the winner of the game between Mississippi and Texas Tech on Saturday at 4 p.m. (PST). The loser between UCLA and Oregon plays the loser of Mississippi-Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. (PST) Friday.


Winnipeg Free Press
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
UCLA blanks South Carolina 5-0 to win Columbia Super Regional and Bruins advance to yet another WCWS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jessica Clements scored three runs, Jordan Woolery and Rylee Slimp drove in two each, and UCLA defeated South Carolina 5-0 on Sunday in the decisive third game of the Columbia Super Regional. The Bruins advance to the Women's College World Series where they have the most championships (12) and most appearances (36). The Bruins last won the championship in 2019. Woolery continued her clutch Super Regional play, driving in Clements with UCLA's first two runs in the first and fifth innings. It was Woolery who kept UCLA alive on Saturday when she hit a two-run walk-off home run in the Bruins' 5-4 victory to even the series at a game apiece. Leading 2-0 through six innings of Sunday's game, UCLA added three runs in the top of the seventh. Clements led off with a single and she and Savannah Pola scored on a single by Slimp. An RBI single by Alexis Ramirez made it 5-0. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Terry and Taylor Tinsley combined to scatter four hits. Terry (19-5) went 5 2/3 innings for the win and Tinsley finished the final 1 1/3 for her third save. Pola and Clements were both 3 for 4 at the plate. __ AP college sports: