The fifth-seeded Arkansas softball team was eliminated from the Women’s College World Series on Friday night, falling to eighth-seeded UCLA 11-0 in five innings in an elimination game in Oklahoma City.
Arkansas finished its season 47-13 after an 0-for-2 performance in their first WCWS appearance. UCLA (53-9) advances to play the loser of Saturday’s game between Tennessee and Texas Tech in another elimination game Sunday.
UCLA’s Megan Grant broke the program’s career home run record with her 91st homer – a three-run blast – in the second inning as part of a nine-run outburst in the second inning that saw all nine Bruins cross the plate.
Grant’s homer propelled her past Stacey Nuveman (1998-2002) for the most home runs in UCLA history, and her 42 homers this season extends her NCAA record. Aleena Garcia hit a solo homer and Soo-Jin Berry followed with a three-run shot in the inning. UCLA has an NCAA-record 206 homers this season.
Only Florida has scored more runs in a single inning at the WCWS, setting the mark with 11 in 2011. The Bruins twice prior scored nine runs in an inning at the WCWS, doing so in 1992 and 2010.
Arkansas managed just three hits against UCLA, and Payton Burnham (14-4) took the loss – lasting just 1 1/3 innings. Taylor Tinsley (33-7) earned the win for the Bruins.
The Women’s College World Series is down to 6 teams! Use our Kalshi promo code and predict this year’s national champion:
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
