Less than 24 hours after the UCLA softball team came back and defeated Kentucky with a sixth inning grand slam, its season was over.
After winning the first game of its three-game NCAA Super Regional series on Saturday, No. 3 seed UCLA lost back-to-back games on Sunday, allowing No. 14 seed Kentucky to advance to Oklahoma City for the College Softball World Series.
The difference between Saturday and Sunday was defense and clutch hitting. On Saturday, the Bruins didn’t commit an error, and got the clutch hits necessary to produce a victory. The Wildcats, on the other hand, committed two crucial errors on Saturday, which prevented them from maintaining a 4-2 sixth inning lead.
On Sunday, it was an entirely different story for both teams. UCLA committed four errors over the two games, while Kentucky committed just one. Also unlike Saturday, the Wildcats came up with more clutch hits with runners on base than the Bruins did. Kentucky scored seven runs in each game on Sunday, while UCLA scored three in the first game and just one in the second.
By winning the series, Kentucky advances to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in school history.
By losing the series, UCLA failed to reach the Women’s College World Series for the fourth straight season. This marks the longest period that UCLA softball has ever gone without reaching the World Series.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports contributor.