Softball one win away from national title after blowout Game 1 win over Oklahoma

This post was updated June 3 at 9:05 p.m.

The Bruins are one win away from a national title.

No. 2 seed UCLA softball (55-6, 20-4 Pac-12) defeated No. 1 seed Oklahoma (57-5, 18-0 Big 12) 16-3 in Game 1 of the Championship Final of the Women’s College World Series on Monday in Oklahoma City. The 16 runs are the most that the Sooners have given up since February 2009 and are tied for the most runs ever scored in any WCWS game.

Sooner pitcher Giselle Juarez had given up just two home runs in the previous four games of the WCWS, but surrendered one almost immediately to the Bruins, as redshirt sophomore right fielder Aaliyah Jordan took her deep in the top of the first inning to give UCLA the lead.

But Oklahoma evened the score in the bottom of the second inning with a home run of its own off the bat of the first baseman Shay Knighten – just the fourth home run that the Sooners have hit in Oklahoma City.

The Bruins responded in the next inning by taking advantage of errors by the Sooner defense to take a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore second baseman Kinsley Washington bunted for a single and advanced to second on the overthrow, scoring when freshman left fielder Kelli Godin reached second on another muffed throw. Junior center fielder Bubba Nickles singled in the next at bat, with Godin scoring when the left fielder made another fielding error.

“Every at-bat, I just wanted to use everything in my toolbox,” Washington said. “My slap game, bunt game, hitting away, definitely just keep the defense moving in and out, and just keeping them on their toes, because they’re a pretty good defensive team.”

UCLA added to its lead on an RBI double from Washington in the fourth inning and an RBI single from senior first baseman Taylor Pack in the fifth.

The Bruins drove three more home runs in the sixth inning, starting with one from senior third baseman Brianna Tautalafua. It was Tautalafua’s first hit of the postseason, having previously gone 0-for-26 going back into the postseason.

Sophomore shortstop Briana Perez followed, driving a three-run home run to center to score Washington and Nickles, who had walked and singled, respectively. The six-run rally ended after redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia hit a two-run home run, bringing the lead up to 11-1.

The four home runs were the most for UCLA since April 6, when the team beat Arizona State 9-0.

“We were laughing, because in (batting practice) we didn’t feel in the best going into the game, but something clicked in the game,” Perez said.

The win was capped with five more runs in the seventh, the first two coming on an RBI double for sophomore outfielder Julie Rodriguez, her first hit of the postseason, and the next three on RBI singles from Nickles and Garcia.

“The thing that I’m most proud of is that every game … I say, let’s put ourselves in a position to let everybody play,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “The only way you do that is you gotta through enough punches to be able to give yourself that ability to take your starters out and let people play.”

Garcia started at pitcher for UCLA just one day after pitching 10 innings in the Bruins’ win over the Washington Huskies. Garcia gave up just the one home run in her five innings of work before freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo relieved her in the bottom of the sixth to clinch the victory.

UCLA had previously played Oklahoma in February, coming away with a 7-1 victory – one of just two losses the Sooners recorded in the regular season. With the 16 runs scored Monday, the Bruins also became the only team this season to score four or more runs against Oklahoma twice.

Game 2 of the championship series is set for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.