University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Saturday, February 21
Cathedral City, CA
3:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
11-3
11
vs
0
Fresno State
4-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Fresno State
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
UCLA
4
2
0
5
X
11
9
0
Aleena Garcia
Photo by: Crash Kamon
Déjà Bru: UCLA Walks Off South Carolina at Mary Nutter
February 21, 2026 | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The No. 9-ranked UCLA softball team moved to 5-0 on the weekend with two more victories over Fresno State and No. 13 South Carolina at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday.
The Bruins (12-3) handled the Bulldogs (4-7) with a quick 11-0 mercy-rule victory that last just 1 hour and 17 minutes. UCLA capped the day with a five-run rally in the seventh inning to walk it off on the Gamecocks (8-5), 5-4, in a rematch of last year's Super Regional series. Down to UCLA's final out, redshirt freshman Aleena Garcia drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs with a two-RBI single up the middle to secure the victory.
Before Saturday, the last time UCLA surmounted a four-plus run deficit in the seventh inning was against Arizona State on April 30, 2016, when the Bruins rallied for six in a 6-5 walk-off win.
Game 2: UCLA 5, South Carolina 4
UCLA's Taylor Tinsley and South Carolina's Jori Heard went toe-to-toe in a pitcher's duel, blanking their opponents through the first five innings of the game. Tinsley took a perfect game one out into the top of the sixth before surrendering her first baserunner on an infield single.
The single, off the bat of pinch hitter Alyssa Hovermale, sparked a rally. South Carolina's next hitter reached on a fielding error by shortstop Aleena Garcia, who prematurely looked to get the force out at second base before looking the ball into her mitt. A two-out single into shallow center field by second baseman Karley Shelton scored the game's first run. On a 2-2 count, Arianna Rodi hit a three-run blast to give the Gamecocks a comfortable four run buffer to navigate through the game's final six outs with.
But Bruin Magic, just like it did in Game 2 of the 2026 NCAA Columbia Super Regional, struck again.
The Bruins' No. 8 hitter Alexis Ramirez initiated the epic comeback bid with a towering home run out to center field to lead off the home half. Freshman Jolyna Lamar came off the bench to pinch hit and smacked a base hit into center field on the first pitch of her at-bat, turning over the lineup still with no outs.
The Bruins No. 1, 2 and 3 hitters each worked walks. Sophomore Rylee Slimp displayed tremendous patience to work an eight-pitch walk and bring up the game-tying run in NCAA home run leader Megan Grant. The slugger followed with a full-count walk of her own, loading the bases for last year's Super Regional superhero Jordan Woolery. She drew another walk to score UCLA's second run and cut the lead to 4-2. Woolery's walk resulted in the 200th RBI of her career.
Sophomore Kaniya Bragg plated the Bruins' next run on a single into left field that scored Slimp. Pinch runner Saydrie Meoño was gunned down attempting to score from second base on the play by Quincee Lilio for the first out of the inning. South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, similar to Game 2 of last year's Super Regional, re-inserted starting pitcher Heard to stop the bleeding caused by reliever Nealy Lamb. Heard struck out Bri Alejandre for the second out, but walked Ramsey Suarez to load the bases again and put the go-ahead and game-winning runs in scoring position.
Next up was Garcia with a chance at redemption following her error in the sixth. On a 1-0 count, Garcia squared up a ball the smoked past South Carolina's diving second baseman for the walk-off hit.
Tinsley got through the first five innings of her brilliant outing on just 44. She finished the game with four strikeouts, three hits, no walks and four unearned runs en route to picking up her eighth win of the year.
Eerily similar to tonight's result, Game 2 of the NCAA Columbia Super Regional featured UCLA's largest seventh-inning comeback in team postseason history. That game also concluded with a final score of 5-4.
Game 1: UCLA 11, Fresno State 0 (5 inn.)
Redshirt junior Sydney Somerndike pitched the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career against Fresno State in UCLA's first game of the day. Somerndike allowed just one hit and one free pass (hit-by-pitch) in her outing.
Four different Bruins homered against the Bulldogs: Alejandre, Grant, Suarez and Woolery. Suarez's second home run of the weekend was a three-run blast in the bottom of the first. Grant finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and her NCAA-leading 11th homer of the year.
Next Up
UCLA closes its 23rd Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic appearance tomorrow morning versus No. 11 Texas A&M at 11:30 a.m. (PT). Fans can stream the action on FloCollege for a fee.
The Bruins (12-3) handled the Bulldogs (4-7) with a quick 11-0 mercy-rule victory that last just 1 hour and 17 minutes. UCLA capped the day with a five-run rally in the seventh inning to walk it off on the Gamecocks (8-5), 5-4, in a rematch of last year's Super Regional series. Down to UCLA's final out, redshirt freshman Aleena Garcia drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs with a two-RBI single up the middle to secure the victory.
Before Saturday, the last time UCLA surmounted a four-plus run deficit in the seventh inning was against Arizona State on April 30, 2016, when the Bruins rallied for six in a 6-5 walk-off win.
Game 2: UCLA 5, South Carolina 4
UCLA's Taylor Tinsley and South Carolina's Jori Heard went toe-to-toe in a pitcher's duel, blanking their opponents through the first five innings of the game. Tinsley took a perfect game one out into the top of the sixth before surrendering her first baserunner on an infield single.
The single, off the bat of pinch hitter Alyssa Hovermale, sparked a rally. South Carolina's next hitter reached on a fielding error by shortstop Aleena Garcia, who prematurely looked to get the force out at second base before looking the ball into her mitt. A two-out single into shallow center field by second baseman Karley Shelton scored the game's first run. On a 2-2 count, Arianna Rodi hit a three-run blast to give the Gamecocks a comfortable four run buffer to navigate through the game's final six outs with.
But Bruin Magic, just like it did in Game 2 of the 2026 NCAA Columbia Super Regional, struck again.
The Bruins' No. 8 hitter Alexis Ramirez initiated the epic comeback bid with a towering home run out to center field to lead off the home half. Freshman Jolyna Lamar came off the bench to pinch hit and smacked a base hit into center field on the first pitch of her at-bat, turning over the lineup still with no outs.
The Bruins No. 1, 2 and 3 hitters each worked walks. Sophomore Rylee Slimp displayed tremendous patience to work an eight-pitch walk and bring up the game-tying run in NCAA home run leader Megan Grant. The slugger followed with a full-count walk of her own, loading the bases for last year's Super Regional superhero Jordan Woolery. She drew another walk to score UCLA's second run and cut the lead to 4-2. Woolery's walk resulted in the 200th RBI of her career.
Sophomore Kaniya Bragg plated the Bruins' next run on a single into left field that scored Slimp. Pinch runner Saydrie Meoño was gunned down attempting to score from second base on the play by Quincee Lilio for the first out of the inning. South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, similar to Game 2 of last year's Super Regional, re-inserted starting pitcher Heard to stop the bleeding caused by reliever Nealy Lamb. Heard struck out Bri Alejandre for the second out, but walked Ramsey Suarez to load the bases again and put the go-ahead and game-winning runs in scoring position.
Next up was Garcia with a chance at redemption following her error in the sixth. On a 1-0 count, Garcia squared up a ball the smoked past South Carolina's diving second baseman for the walk-off hit.
Tinsley got through the first five innings of her brilliant outing on just 44. She finished the game with four strikeouts, three hits, no walks and four unearned runs en route to picking up her eighth win of the year.
Eerily similar to tonight's result, Game 2 of the NCAA Columbia Super Regional featured UCLA's largest seventh-inning comeback in team postseason history. That game also concluded with a final score of 5-4.
Game 1: UCLA 11, Fresno State 0 (5 inn.)
Redshirt junior Sydney Somerndike pitched the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career against Fresno State in UCLA's first game of the day. Somerndike allowed just one hit and one free pass (hit-by-pitch) in her outing.
Four different Bruins homered against the Bulldogs: Alejandre, Grant, Suarez and Woolery. Suarez's second home run of the weekend was a three-run blast in the bottom of the first. Grant finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and her NCAA-leading 11th homer of the year.
Next Up
UCLA closes its 23rd Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic appearance tomorrow morning versus No. 11 Texas A&M at 11:30 a.m. (PT). Fans can stream the action on FloCollege for a fee.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Somerndike, Sydney (2-0)
L: Lauryn Carranco (3-4)
Base Running:
HBP: Emma Martinez 1
Batting:
2B: Grant, Megan 1
3B: Phillips, Mia 1
HR: Grant, Megan 1 ; Woolery, Jordan 1 ; Alejandre, Bri 1 ; Suarez, Ramsey 1
RBI: Slimp, Rylee 1 ; Grant, Megan 2 ; Woolery, Jordan 2 ; Alejandre, Bri 2 ; Suarez, Ramsey 3
SF: Slimp, Rylee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Slimp, Rylee 1 ; Grant, Megan 1 ; Meoño, Saydrie 1 ; Woolery, Jordan 2 ; Bragg, Kaniya 2 ; Alejandre, Bri 1 ; Suarez, Ramsey 1 ; Phillips, Mia 2
SB: Phillips, Mia 1
HBP: Woolery, Jordan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
DP/INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
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