WATCH: UCLA upsets No. 1 seed Oklahoma, sets up rematch for championship series appearance
UCLA did something Monday only two other teams have done. The Bruins beat Oklahoma — and they’ll have the chance to do it again.
UCLA rode three big home runs, including two from Maya Brady, and some strong pitching performances to a 7-3 victory over the No. 1-seeded Sooners. It was just Oklahoma’s third loss of the season after falling to Texas during the regular season and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Softball Tournament.
The two teams will face off again Monday afternoon for a chance to advance to the championship series in the Women’s College World Series.
How it happened: UCLA upsets Oklahoma to force if-necessary game
The scoring got started with a busy first-inning. UCLA’s Delanie Wisz hit a two-run home run off Nicole May to give the Bruins the early 2-0 lead. But Oklahoma answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff blast from Jayda Coleman to cut the lead in half.
Then, in the third inning, Brady hit a three-run bomb to extend UCLA’s lead to 5-1 — the largest deficit the Sooners have faced all season. Oklahoma then got back in it when Grace Lyons put one over the fence to make it a 5-3 game. But Brady worked her magic again in the top of the seventh, hitting her second home run of the day to extend the Bruins lead to 7-3.
After Sooners coach Patty Gasso pulled May in the third inning following Brady’s home run, she put in Jordy Bahl. Bahl, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year, has dealt with a forearm injury and only appeared in one game since May 6 when she got the last out of Oklahoma’s 13-2 win over Northwestern in its WCWS opener. ESPN reporter Holly Rowe said Gasso had a pitch count on Bahl, but she still managed to throw some great innings in high-leverage situations before giving up the late home run to Brady.
For UCLA, Megan Faraimo got the start in the circle, throwing four innings of four-hit ball. Holly Azevedo came in to relieve her in the fifth and got the biggest out of the game, shaking off a sign from her coach to strike out power-hitting Jocelyn Alo — the tying run at the time.
First pitch of Game 2 between Oklahoma and UCLA is coming up at approx. 3:19 p.m. ET.