College Sports
UCLA
LOS ANGELES – Designated player Alexis Ramirez went 3-for-4 with six runs batted in and logged her first career two-homer game to help the No. 6-ranked UCLA softball team defeat Northwestern, 15-8, in a slugfest at Easton Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Bruins (47-8, 17-4 Big Ten) recorded 15 hits in a game for the […]
LOS ANGELES – Designated player Alexis Ramirez went 3-for-4 with six runs batted in and logged her first career two-homer game to help the No. 6-ranked UCLA softball team defeat Northwestern, 15-8, in a slugfest at Easton Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Bruins (47-8, 17-4 Big Ten) recorded 15 hits in a game for the fourth time this season on a misty and cloudy day in Los Angeles. Junior third baseman Jordan Woolery joined Ramirez with a three-hit performance (3-for-4) and scored three runs. In total, UCLA’s top three batters – Jessica Clements, Savannah Pola and Woolery – went a combined 7-for-11 with eight runs scored and four RBIs.
Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Terry was tasked with leading UCLA in the circle after its 8-0 shutout loss from the previous day. Terry opened her outing by allowing the first two batters she faced to reach on a walk and infield single deep in the 5-6 hole. A wild pitch in the middle of the next at-bat to Kelsey Nader complicated the matter, putting two in scoring position with no outs. Terry escaped the threat by striking out each of the next two Wildcats (28-17-1, 15-6 Big Ten) and inducing a groundout to first baseman Megan Grant.
The Bruins set the tone on offense early with three runs in the first inning. Clements worked a full-count walk and a double by Pola into the left-center gap put two aboard for the heart of the lineup. Northwestern starting pitcher Emma Blea, who had thrown just 19.1 innings entering the contest, walked Woolery and Grant to bring home UCLA’s first run of the game. Kaniya Bragg rolled into a 6-4-3 double play; the Wildcats took the two easy outs in exchange for the Bruins’ second run. The next batter, Ramirez, smacked the first pitch she saw up the middle to score Woolery with two outs and extend the lead to 3-0.
Terry retired the side in order for a shutdown second inning, putting the bat in her own hands to lead off the bottom half. Terry – UCLA’s No. 9 hitter – got the green light on a 3-0 count and barreled a long single to the center field wall. Despite Clements lining into a double play, the Bruins were able to generate five runs with two outs. Two straight singles by Pola and Woolery and an intentional walk to Grant brought Bragg to the plate. On a 3-1 count, Bragg squared up a ball that bounced off the Northwestern second baseman’s ankles for an error to score a pair. Ramirez made the Wildcats pay for the blunder with a three-run homer to left field, again on a first-pitch delivery. Ramirez’ blast pushed UCLA’s lead to a commanding 8-0.
Terry battled through eight runs (seven earned), four homers and nine total hits to earn her 16th win of the season (16-4) in a complete-game effort.
At the plate, Terry went 2-for-4 and showed off her athleticism by scoring from first base on a two-run double by Clements in the bottom of the third. On the next pitch, Woolery dropped another long single into the left center gap to score Clements from second and balloon UCLA’s lead to 11-0.
The left-hander Terry went to work in the top of the fourth with 11 runs of support. However, four straight hits by the Wildcats – single, single, double, homer – scored four runs to put the threat of a run-rule away temporarily. Designated player Avery Garden hit the three-run shot to left to cap the scoring in the fourth inning.
After being held scoreless by Northwestern reliever Renae Cunningham in the bottom half, the Wildcats continued to cut into UCLA’s lead with four more runs off a string of back-to-back-to-back jacks by Kansas Robinson, Izzy Cunnea and Lauren Sciborski. What was once an 11-run lead for Terry was trimmed to just three, 11-8.
UCLA’s offense did not let up, answering Northwestern’s four-run spot with one of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Clements led off the inning with her second double of the game to match her career high. She later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Pola after advancing to third on a wild pitch. Woolery singled to left center for her third hit of the game and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Bragg came through by fisting a 3-1 delivery to opposite field (right) to score Woolery. Ramirez delivered the final blow with a home run to the deepest part of the ballpark for her second longball of the day to bring the score to its final tally, 15-8.
The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez elected to leave Terry in the ballgame to finish out the sixth and seventh innings. Terry retired the final six batters in order with relative ease, needing just eight and 15 pitches in each inning, respectively.
NEXT UP
UCLA closes the regular season versus Northwestern tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. (PT) at Easton Stadium. The Bruins will be honoring the eight members of their senior class – Kate Blunt, Jayla Castro, Jada Cecil, Jessica Clements, Seneca Curo, Lauren Hatch, Savannah Pola and Taylor Stephens – prior to first pitch as part of a Senior Day Ceremony.
The Bruins (47-8, 17-4 Big Ten) recorded 15 hits in a game for the fourth time this season on a misty and cloudy day in Los Angeles. Junior third baseman Jordan Woolery joined Ramirez with a three-hit performance (3-for-4) and scored three runs. In total, UCLA’s top three batters – Jessica Clements, Savannah Pola and Woolery – went a combined 7-for-11 with eight runs scored and four RBIs.
Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Terry was tasked with leading UCLA in the circle after its 8-0 shutout loss from the previous day. Terry opened her outing by allowing the first two batters she faced to reach on a walk and infield single deep in the 5-6 hole. A wild pitch in the middle of the next at-bat to Kelsey Nader complicated the matter, putting two in scoring position with no outs. Terry escaped the threat by striking out each of the next two Wildcats (28-17-1, 15-6 Big Ten) and inducing a groundout to first baseman Megan Grant.
The Bruins set the tone on offense early with three runs in the first inning. Clements worked a full-count walk and a double by Pola into the left-center gap put two aboard for the heart of the lineup. Northwestern starting pitcher Emma Blea, who had thrown just 19.1 innings entering the contest, walked Woolery and Grant to bring home UCLA’s first run of the game. Kaniya Bragg rolled into a 6-4-3 double play; the Wildcats took the two easy outs in exchange for the Bruins’ second run. The next batter, Ramirez, smacked the first pitch she saw up the middle to score Woolery with two outs and extend the lead to 3-0.
Terry retired the side in order for a shutdown second inning, putting the bat in her own hands to lead off the bottom half. Terry – UCLA’s No. 9 hitter – got the green light on a 3-0 count and barreled a long single to the center field wall. Despite Clements lining into a double play, the Bruins were able to generate five runs with two outs. Two straight singles by Pola and Woolery and an intentional walk to Grant brought Bragg to the plate. On a 3-1 count, Bragg squared up a ball that bounced off the Northwestern second baseman’s ankles for an error to score a pair. Ramirez made the Wildcats pay for the blunder with a three-run homer to left field, again on a first-pitch delivery. Ramirez’ blast pushed UCLA’s lead to a commanding 8-0.
Terry battled through eight runs (seven earned), four homers and nine total hits to earn her 16th win of the season (16-4) in a complete-game effort.
At the plate, Terry went 2-for-4 and showed off her athleticism by scoring from first base on a two-run double by Clements in the bottom of the third. On the next pitch, Woolery dropped another long single into the left center gap to score Clements from second and balloon UCLA’s lead to 11-0.
The left-hander Terry went to work in the top of the fourth with 11 runs of support. However, four straight hits by the Wildcats – single, single, double, homer – scored four runs to put the threat of a run-rule away temporarily. Designated player Avery Garden hit the three-run shot to left to cap the scoring in the fourth inning.
After being held scoreless by Northwestern reliever Renae Cunningham in the bottom half, the Wildcats continued to cut into UCLA’s lead with four more runs off a string of back-to-back-to-back jacks by Kansas Robinson, Izzy Cunnea and Lauren Sciborski. What was once an 11-run lead for Terry was trimmed to just three, 11-8.
UCLA’s offense did not let up, answering Northwestern’s four-run spot with one of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Clements led off the inning with her second double of the game to match her career high. She later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Pola after advancing to third on a wild pitch. Woolery singled to left center for her third hit of the game and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Bragg came through by fisting a 3-1 delivery to opposite field (right) to score Woolery. Ramirez delivered the final blow with a home run to the deepest part of the ballpark for her second longball of the day to bring the score to its final tally, 15-8.
The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez elected to leave Terry in the ballgame to finish out the sixth and seventh innings. Terry retired the final six batters in order with relative ease, needing just eight and 15 pitches in each inning, respectively.
NEXT UP
UCLA closes the regular season versus Northwestern tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. (PT) at Easton Stadium. The Bruins will be honoring the eight members of their senior class – Kate Blunt, Jayla Castro, Jada Cecil, Jessica Clements, Seneca Curo, Lauren Hatch, Savannah Pola and Taylor Stephens – prior to first pitch as part of a Senior Day Ceremony.