The UCLA Bruins turned the Big Ten Tournament semifinals into a batting practice session, dismantling the Wisconsin Badgers 19-5 in a five-inning run-rule victory at Maryland Softball Stadium on Friday. As the No. 3 seed, UCLA came in with momentum from a 6-1 win over No. 11 Penn State the day before, but they elevated their game to another level against the No. 7 Badgers.
From the very first pitch, UCLA made it clear they were in control. Senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley set the tone in the top of the first, allowing two hits but keeping Wisconsin off the scoreboard. The Bruins wasted no time answering back, loading the bases and scoring two unearned runs off a lineout and a fielding error. Then, junior utility player Soo-Jin Berry stepped up and launched a grand slam—UCLA's second hit of the game—to give the Bruins a commanding 6-0 lead after just one inning.
Wisconsin tried to claw back in the top of the second, scoring two runs to chip away at UCLA's lead. But the Bruins had an answer, and it came in historic fashion. Senior utility player Megan Grant crushed her 37th home run of the season in the bottom of the second, tying Arizona's Laura Espinoza's 1995 NCAA Division I record for the most home runs in a single season. Grant, who also won a national championship with UCLA's women's basketball team earlier this year, continues to cement her legacy as one of the most versatile athletes in college sports.
Tinsley kept the Badgers at bay in the top of the third, allowing just one hit. The Bruins' offense then picked up where it left off. Sophomore infielder Kaniya Bragg smashed a two-run homer to extend the lead, and UCLA strung together three more hits to bring redshirt junior center fielder Alexis Ramirez and sophomore outfielder Rylee Slimp home, pushing the score to 11-2. The rout was on, and the Bruins never looked back, scoring in every inning to secure their spot in the tournament final.
For UCLA, this game was a statement of dominance, combining stellar pitching with an explosive lineup that seems to be peaking at the perfect time. With Grant rewriting the record books and the entire team firing on all cylinders, the Bruins are proving they're a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten Tournament.