History was made on the diamond Friday night, and it came in the form of a towering home run swing. UCLA senior slugger Megan Grant has officially tied the NCAA Division I single-season home run record, launching her 37th homer of the year in a dominant 19-5 win over No. 7 Wisconsin during the Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
Grant's milestone blast came in the second inning, with the Bruins already leading 6-0 thanks to a first-inning grand slam from Soo-Jin Berry. Facing Wisconsin pitcher Kendra Lewis, Grant stayed true to her aggressive approach at the plate. "My mindset was just to be aggressive and I saw a great pitch and so I went through it," she said. "I don't really focus on anything else. Just try to barrel up the ball as much as I can. See a good pitch and hit a good pitch."
The homer not only surpassed Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells for the national lead this season but also tied a legendary mark set 31 years ago by Arizona's Laura Espinoza in 1995. Grant's record-tying shot was her third home run in the last four games, and she's showing no signs of slowing down.
UCLA, ranked No. 3 nationally, put on a power display with four home runs in the game, pushing their season total to a jaw-dropping 181—already shattering the previous single-season record of 161. The Bruins are now set to face No. 1 Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament Final on Saturday, a game that could give Grant the opportunity to claim sole ownership of the record.
With at least two more games guaranteed and a third consecutive Women's College World Series appearance well within reach, the stage is set for Grant to make history her own. Meanwhile, Wells' hopes for a quick response were dashed after No. 9 Georgia upset No. 1 Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, meaning she'll have to wait until the NCAA Tournament for another chance.
For fans of the game, this is the kind of chase that makes postseason softball unforgettable. Whether you're a die-hard Bruins fan or just love watching records fall, Megan Grant's power surge is must-see action.