| Softball |
|---|
| Auburn — 1 |
| UCLA — 23 |
It started as a tight game under the desert lights. Two innings later, it was history. No.9 UCLA Bruins softball (8-3) turned a steady start into an unforgettable night Thursday, overwhelming Auburn (10-3) 23-1 in its Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic opener at Big League Dream Sports Park.
What unfolded in the third inning wasn’t just a rally, it was an avalanche. Through two innings, UCLA held a simple 3-0 lead over Auburn. The Bruins had strung together a few timely hits, senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley looked sharp in the circle, and the game felt firmly in control.
Then came the third inning. And it didn’t stop. UCLA sent 23 batters to the plate and scored 18 runs in a single frame, tying for the second-most runs in an inning in NCAA Division I history and the most by any team since 2021. By the time the inning finally ended, the Bruins had turned a competitive matchup into a 21-0 statement.
The spark had already been lit in the second. Redshirt-junior designated player Ramsey Suarez recorded the first triple of her career, driving in two runs. Redshirt-freshman shortstop Aleena Garcia followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. But the third was something else entirely.
With two outs, when rallies usually fade, UCLA only grew stronger. 14 of its 18 runs scored with two away. Suarez ripped a two-run double before later launching a three-run homer to left center. Senior first basebam Jordan Woolery followed with a two-RBI double and later crushed a grand slam, her fourth career slam, sending the Bruins’ dugout into celebration.
Sophomore second baseman Kaniya Bragg and Garcia kept the pressure on with key hits of their own, while freshman third baseman Bri Alejandre consistently found her way on base, crossing the plate four times. Suarez finished 3-for-4 with seven RBIs and nine total bases in a career night. Woolery drove in six. Four different Bruins recorded three hits as UCLA totaled 16 overall, nine of them for extra bases. The 23 runs scored marked the fourth-most in program history.
While the offense made headlines, Tinsley quietly controlled the circle. The senior struck out the first two batters she faced and allowed just three baserunners across three innings, earning her fifth win of the season on only 49 pitches. Freshman pitcher Natalie Cable closed the final two innings, surrendering Auburn’s lone run on a solo home run in the fifth.
Seven of UCLA’s eight wins this season have now come in mercy-rule fashion, a continuation of last year’s record-setting pace.
Next up, the Bruins will look to carry their momentum into Friday’s slate at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. UCLA is set to face Nevada Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. PST and No.20 Duke at 6 p.m. PST at Big League Dream Sports Park.
