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UCLA advances in Big Ten softball tournament after Indiana botches final play

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz05/08/25NickSchultz_7
UCLA walk-off vs. Indiana
Screenshot courtesy of @UCLASoftball/X

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Rylee Slimp stepped to the plate looking to be the hero. UCLA and Indiana were tied at 4-4 – and a high chopper proved trouble for the Hoosiers.

Slimp hit a high chopper to the pitcher’s mound, but Brianna Copeland couldn’t handle it as she tried to make a quick throw home. That allowed the Rylee Pinedo to score the winning run, giving the Bruins a 5-4 victory to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten softball tournament.

It proved to be a wild final sequence, although it was ruled a hit for Slimp. UCLA will now get ready to take on Nebraska on Friday with a spot in the championship game on the line.

UCLA jumped out in front early in Thursday’s game with three runs in the first inning – two of which came on a Jordan Woolery home run. Indiana then got on the board in the third inning with an RBI double from Taylor Minnick and a single from Avery Parker to drive her in and cut the deficit to 3-2. The Bruins then got an RBI single from Savannah Pola in the bottom of the fourth to go back up by two with a 4-2 advantage.

Then, Indiana tied things up in the top of the fifth. Minnick once again ripped an RBI double and advanced to third base on the throw, and Kinsey Mitchell scored her on a single to bring things to a 4-4 tie. That’s where things stood heading into the bottom of the seventh when Slimp came through with the walk-off hit for UCLA.

Taylor Tinsley got the win in the circle for UCLA after allowing four runs, seven hits and three walks in seven innings of work. It marks her 12th win of the season. Copeland took the loss after re-entering the game in the bottom of the fifth. On the whole, she threw 2.1 innings and allowed four runs – three of which were earned – and seven hits during that time. Taylor Hess relived her for 3.2 innings, giving up just one run on four hits.

UCLA will now advance in its first-ever Big Ten tournament and take on Nebraska in the semifinals. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.