UCLA bound for Women's College World Series after Sunday sweep

In more than two decades within the UCLA softball program as both a player and a coach, head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez is both a believer and preacher of what she calls “Bruin Magic.” It’s the phenomenon that surrounds the UCLA softball program and makes the improbable happen, she says, and stems from confidence in even the most difficult situations.

Two outs away from elimination, UCLA sprinkled some Bruin Magic all over Oregon’s Jane Sanders Stadium on Sunday. One day after getting routed 8-1 in Game 1 of their Super Regional series against the Ducks, the Bruins staved off elimination with a walk-off RBI single in the ninth iing in Game 2 and advanced to the Women’s College World Series with a 2-1 win in Game 3. The 12th-seeded Bruins will face Aubu on Thursday in the first round of the WCWS after knocking off the No. 5 Ducks.

Despite outhitting the Ducks 9-4 in Game 2, the Bruins struggled to move ruers into scoring position. But left fielder Gabrielle Maurice came up clutch with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1 and force extra iings. After third baseman Mysha Sataraka doubled to lead off the ninth iing, catcher Madeline Jelenicki hit a walk-off RBI single to left field to extend UCLA’s season with a 2-1 Game 2 victory.

Pitcher Selina Ta’amilo tossed a gem in Game 2 to keep the Bruins in alive. The sophomore who pitched four iings Friday kept the vaunted Oregon offense to just four hits, only one day after the Ducks plated eight in UCLA’s Game 1 loss. She struck out seven and walked one in nine iings.

In Game 3, the Bruins got on the board early with an uneaed run from an Oregon throwing error. UCLA doubled its lead with an RBI double from Sataraka in the fourth iing.

In Game 3, pitcher Paige McDuffee again shut down the Ducks in a series-clinching victory in Eugene. She gave up four hits and one run in 6 2/3 iings after she had a similar performance in the regular season. Combined, McDuffee and Ta’amilo kept Oregon, the top offensive team in the Pac-12, scoreless for 14 straight iings on Sunday, only giving up one run in the first iing of Game 2 and another one in the seventh iing of Game 3.