How the SEC’s softball dominance could carry it through to the Women’s College World Series
The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson shares the top storylines she’s following through the NCAA softball tournament, starting with the SEC’s biggest strengths.
Jordan Woolery’s first hit of the Columbia Super Regional was an impactful one.
On the brink of elimination with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the UCLA softball star connected on a first-pitch fastball and sent it over the left field wall for a two-run home run to give the ninth-seeded Bruins a 5-4 walk-off win against No. 8 seed South Carolina.
Woolery’s two-run walk-off home at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field evened the super regional series at 1-1 between the Gamecocks and Bruins, forcing Sunday’s “if necessary” Game 3 of the best-of-three super regional series to be played.
Woolery’s shot to left field was her 23rd home run of the season, which is now tied for the seventh most among all Division I hitters this season. It also ended a 0-for-6 stint at the plate against South Carolina in the super regional for Woolery.
To extend its stay in the NCAA Tournament for at least one extra day, UCLA scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The scoring began with Kaitlyn Terry hitting one to the right center wall for a triple that brought home Taylor Stephens. Terry was then brought home on two batters later on a single from Savannah Polo.
The Bruins were being shut out by South Carolina until the bottom of the fifth inning when Sofia Mujica connected on a 1-0 pitch for a solo home run to straight away centerfield off Gamecocks reliever Jori Hearld.
The winner of Sunday’s “if necessary” game between the Gamecocks and Bruins, which has a TBD first pitch at the time of writing, will advance to the Women’s College World Series. First up in Oklahoma City for either South Carolina or UCLA will be the winner of the Eugene Super Regional between No. 16 Oregon and Liberty.
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