The UCF Knights sit on the edge of elimination.
After dropping Game 1 of the NCAA softball tournament super regionals against UCLA, they’ll need to defeat the Bruins in two straight, starting with Saturday’s 10 p.m. contest at Easton Stadium, to advance. The showdown will air on ESPN.
UCLA (51-8), the top-scoring offense in the country, flexed its muscles with three homers Friday night. It needed just five innings to down the Knights 9-1. UCF (41-18-1) has never advanced to the Women’s College World Series.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal is providing live updates throughout Game 2. Follow along below.
Stream UCF vs. UCLA on Fubo (free trial)
UCF vs UCLA score updates
This section will be updated when the game begins.
UCLA softball starting lineup for Game 2 vs UCF
Taylor Tinsley pitched five innings Friday night, and she will be called into action again for Game 2. The Bruins will keep things largely the same as they look for a return to the Women’s College World Series.
UCF softball starting lineup for Game 2 vs UCLA
Tori Payne picked up the decisive win in Tallahassee over Florida State, and the freshman will get the start in a do-or-die super regional game against UCLA.
Payne will also hit eighth while right fielder Zoe Calvez begins the night as a flex player. Here is the Knights’ full lineup, which features several changes in the batting order:
UCF vs UCLA time today
What channel is UCF vs UCLA game on today?
UCF vs. UCLA will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Matt Schumacker and Kenzie Fowler will call the game from Easton Stadium in L.A. Streaming options include ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
UCF vs UCLA softball history
UCF vs UCLA predictions for NCAA softball super regionals
Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal — UCLA in two games. The Knights will head west with an enormous amount of confidence after finally conquering the Tallahassee Regional. They are also 5-4 this season against ranked opponents on the road, including series wins over fellow super regional qualifiers Oklahoma State and Arizona State. However, very few pitching staffs have had success against UCLA this spring. The Bruins lead the country in scoring (10.83 runs per game), home runs (193), on-base percentage (.494) and slugging percentage (.836). UCLA’s pitching staff has produced a team ERA of 4.37, so the Knights should have ample opportunities to score. They need to capitalize whenever possible.
Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal — UCLA in three games. It’s not just that the Bruins leads the country in scoring. It’s that nobody is really close. They’ve crossed the plate 628 times this season. Only two teams sit within 150 runs of that — Oklahoma (599) and Texas Tech (583). UCLA has been held to fewer than five runs in only seven of their 58 contests. It has the upper hand in this series. But it wouldn’t be totally shocking if UCF claimed a game after upsetting Florida State last week. The Seminoles beat the Bruins 11-7 in February.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF vs UCLA score updates, highlights, how to watch NCAA softball tournament game
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
