UCLA Outlasts Nebraska, 6-5, in a Thriller to Even Series

Saturday, March 28

Lincoln, NE

12:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

29-4, 10-1

Nebraska

25-6, 7-1

UCLA

Nebraska

Jordan Woolery

Photo by: jbslimp

UCLA Outlasts Nebraska, 6-5, in a Thriller to Even Series

March 28, 2026 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)UCLA's Season Stats (PDF)Highlights

LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 7 UCLA softball team held off a late-game comeback to defeat Nebraska, 6-5, and even the series at one game apiece in front of a record crowd of 3,123 fans at Bowlin Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Bruins (29-4, 10-1 Big Ten) broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth. Freshman Bri Alejandre worked a full-count walk to lead off the inning against Huskers (25-6, 7-1 Big Ten) starting pitcher Jordy Frahm. Alejandre came around to score from first base on an RBI double by Aleena Garcia that one-hopped the left field wall.

Later in the inning, freshman Jolyna Lamar – UCLA's No. 9 hitter – drove in two more runs with her sixth home run of the year to straightaway to center field. Those two runs proved to be valuable insurance for Bruins reliever Taylor Tinsley.

ALEENA FOR THE LEAD.

UCLA 4, Nebraska 3

??: B1G+ pic.twitter.com/UzSfECUk8U
— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) March 28, 2026

Nebraska cut UCLA's lead to just one run at 6-5 with back-to-back home runs to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Frahm's second dinger of the day caught the tailwind of a 20+ mile per hour gust and just cleared the left field wall. Tinsley issued walks to three of the next four batters she faced to load the bases with only one out. The second out of the inning came on a fly ball to Saydrie Meoño to right field. Meoño, who subbed in before the start of the home half, threw a laser to the cutoff woman Jordan Woolery to prevent the third base runner from tagging up and tying the game. The very next pitch was a game-ending lineout to Garcia at shortstop.

Tinsley entered the game following a walk by UCLA starter Natalie Cable to start the bottom of the second. One day after throwing 143 pitches in a complete-game loss, Tinsley turned around to throw 104 pitches and notch her 16th win of the season on Saturday. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native finished her six-inning outing with three earned runs on five hits and four walks and two strikeouts.

UCLA opened the top of the first with three consecutive hits off Frahm, capped by Jordan Woolery's 20th home run of the year. Woolery's blast was a three-run shot to right-center field. This marks the second consecutive season that both Megan Grant and Woolery have each hit 20-plus home runs. Last year, they became just the second duo in UCLA history to accomplish that feat.

Nebraska answered by scoring two runs without recording a hit in the bottom of the first. Cable walked four of the first five batters she faced. The Huskers' second run of the first came on a fielder's choice groundout to shortstop by Alexis Jensen who narrowly legged out Kaniya Bragg's throw to first to prevent the inning-ending double play.

Frahm ended a stretch of three scoreless innings for both sides with her first home run of the day to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Her homer came on a Tinsley offspeed pitch in the middle of the plate.

Grant reached base twice and went 1-for-2 at the plate with a single, extending her hitting streak to 18 games.

UCLA is now 4-1 in one-run ballgames.

Next Up
UCLA looks to win its fourth straight Big Ten Conference series in the rubber match with Nebraska tomorrow at 10 a.m. (PT) at Bowlin Stadium. The contest is available for streaming on BigTenPlus.com.