Arizona kept UCLA from securing the outright Pac-12 championship on the last day of the regular season. With their eyes on the national championship, the Bruins got their revenge Friday.
After losing two of three to its Pac-12 rivals in the regular season, UCLA answered back with a 6-2 win in the winner’s bracket of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. The win put the Bruins (53-6) within one victory of their first appearance in the best-of-three championship series since 2010. UCLA must win one game out of two opportunities on Sunday against the loser’s bracket survivor. Arizona next faces the winner of an elimination game between Washington and Minnesota.
Two ace pitchers dueled between Arizona’s Taylor McQuillin and UCLA’s Rachel Garcia, but Friday’s star was UCLA pinch hitter Malia Quarels, whose go-ahead solo homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.
Quarels pinch hit for third baseman Brianna Tautalafua as Tautalafua was hitless in her last 22 at-bats. She hasn’t recorded a hit since May 10.
Quarels made the substitution worth it with her fourth homer of the season in 35 pinch-hit appearances. The sophomore pumped her fist in the air as she rounded the bases and caught a piece of candy from third base coach Kirk Walker as she came home. Her teammates met her at the plate for the celebration.
The Bruins, clinging to a slim 2-1 lead entering the seventh, then exploded for four runs in the top of the inning, thanks in part to defensive miscues from Arizona. Wildcats catcher Dejah Mulipola dropped a ball at home plate, allowing Stevie Wisz to slide in for a run. Then left fielder Carli Campbell dropped a fly ball in the outfield that brought home two unearned runs.
Garcia pitched her second straight complete game in as many days, allowing just four hits and two runs with six strikeouts. Both runs were from center fielder Alyssa Palomino, who hit solo homers in the second and seventh innings.
Of the 12 home runs allowed by Garcia this season, six have come against Arizona, the second-best home run-hitting team in the country.
Malia Quarles makes the most of her pinch-hit opportunity with a LOOOONNNNNGGGG home run to give @UCLASoftball the lead again!#WCWS pic.twitter.com/8p2uWtzBMh
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 1, 2019
"We're playing for each other right now and that's what is important."
– Rachel Garcia after @UCLASoftball's 6-2 win against Arizona#WCWS pic.twitter.com/Z6LE7PrZv4— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 1, 2019
Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Stevie Wisz has a moment she'll remember forever!#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/YptoWmnFKw
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 1, 2019
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