Twice As Good: UCLA Softball Tops Oregon Twice to Advance to WCWS

The UCLA Softball team needed to defeat Oregon twice yesterday to advance to the Women's College World Series and that's exactly what they did.

UCLA was the home team for the first game even though the teams were playing in Oregon. The Ducks scored a run in the top of the first, following Jenna Lilley's triple down the right field line. She then scored on a sacrifice fly by Nikki Udria.

That was the only scoring until the bottom of the seventh when Gabriella Maurice homered to tie the score and send the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, Mysha Sataraka led off with a double down the left field line. Brianna Tautalafua sacrificed her over to third and Madeline Jelenicki singled to left to score Sataraka and win the game for the Bruins. The win tied the series at one for each team and force a third a deciding game.

In the nitecap, the Bruins were back to being the visiting team and they scored in the top of the first. Allexis Bennett walked to lead the game off and she scored three batters later on Mysha Sataraka's single to left to give UCLA a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, junior Delaney Spaulding started the inning off with a lead-off walk and she cam around to score on a double to left-center by Sataraka to make it 2-0 UCLA.

Paige McDuffee, who relieved starter Selina Ta'amilo in the bottom of the first, held Oregon scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Jenna Lilley scored Danica Mercado on a double to center which went over Bennett's head. But McDuffee was able to get Nikki Udria to foul out to left to end the game and win the series for the Bruins, sending them back to the Women's College World Series.

UCLA will face the #4 seed Auburn Tigers on Thursday at 11:30am PT in a rematch of last year's WCWS. Auburn defeated Arizona to win their Super Regional and advance to the WCWS.

Go Bruins!!!