After a tough loss in the series opener, No. 6 UCLA responded in emphatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, overpowering Northwestern 15–8 in a high-scoring affair at Easton Stadium. With the win, the Bruins improved to 47–8 overall and 17–4 in conference play, while Northwestern fell to 28–17–1 and 15–6 in Big Ten action.
From the opening pitch, UCLA set the tone offensively. The Bruins plated three runs in the first inning and capitalized on a string of defensive miscues in the second to tack on five more unearned runs. A solo shot by Alexis Ramirez to left pushed the lead to 8–0, capping a dominant start for the Bruins.
Megan Grant contributed early with a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring in the first, while Kaitlyn Terry helped her own cause with a sharp RBI single. Jessica Clements and company kept the line moving as UCLA piled on runs in each of the first three innings.
Northwestern, however, didn’t go quietly. The Wildcats exploded in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring eight straight runs to pull within 11–8. Avery Garden started the rally with a three-run homer to left-center following an RBI double from Ayana Lindsey. In the fifth, Kansas Robinson launched a two-run blast—her eighth of the year—and Isabel Cunnea followed with a solo shot. Lauren Sciborski then made it three home runs in a row with another solo bomb to cut the deficit to just three.
Cunnea and Sciborski each tallied multi-hit games, while Grace Nieto reached base twice and continued her hot streak at the top of the order.
But just as the Wildcats seemed to shift momentum, UCLA answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, effectively shutting the door on the comeback bid. The Bruins’ offense, which scored in nearly every frame, proved too much to overcome.
Terry handled the pressure in the circle for UCLA, pitching through Northwestern’s hot streak and recording key outs to maintain the lead. The Bruins’ defense tightened late, and their balanced attack on both sides of the ball allowed them to level the series heading into Sunday’s rubber match.
Game Breakdown
UCLA wasted no time jumping ahead. In the bottom of the first, Grant drew a bases-loaded walk before back-to-back RBI hits gave the Bruins an early 3–0 advantage. The second inning saw five unearned runs cross the plate as Northwestern’s defense faltered.
Ramirez extended the lead with a booming home run in the second inning, a no-doubt shot that clanged off the scoreboard in left field. By the end of the third, the Bruins were up 11–0.
Northwestern’s bats came alive in the fourth. Lindsey’s double and Garden’s three-run blast made it 11–4. One inning later, Robinson, Cunnea and Sciborski hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to pull the Wildcats within striking distance.
Still, the Bruins responded immediately. Key hits and patient at-bats produced four more runs in the fifth, restoring a commanding lead that would hold for the rest of the game.
What’s Ahead?
With the series now tied 1–1, the Wildcats and Bruins will face off in a decisive game three on Sunday, May 4. Northwestern will aim for another signature road win, while UCLA looks to carry Saturday’s momentum into a series-clinching victory as the postseason draws near.
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Featured Image Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
