The No. 10 UCLA softball team demolished Illinois in a 17-0 shutout win to open their Big Ten Conference series at Eichelberger Field in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. on Friday.
The Bruins slaughtered the Fighting Illini with UCLA’s two pitchers allowing three hits and three walks for no runs, while striking out seven batters. Meanwhile, Illinois’ trio of pitchers in the circle gave up 17 hits and five balls for the 17 runs and pitching four strikeouts.
Settling in
It took the Bruins batters a moment to settle into the game. In the top of the first, sophomore outfielder Rylee Slimp had the lone hit of the inning for a single. In the other half of the inning, UCLA senior right-handed pitcher Taylor Tinsley struck out two batters and pitched a grounded out for a perfect inning.
First things first
In the top of the second, freshman infielder Bri Alejandre blasted a homer for UCLA’s first run of the game. Illinois hit their first pitch of the inning for a single, but they wouldn’t get farther than first base as UCLA ended the second up 1-0.
None for you
Both teams were unable to score in the following two innings, but UCLA got two runners on base in the third without hitting a pitch. In fact, Illinois’ second hit of the game was in the bottom of the fourth and was the only hit between either team in the third and fourth innings.
Two for good measure
The Bruins made up for the lack of scoring in the top of the fifth with 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champion and senior utility Megan Grant hitting a two-run homer to put the UCLA up 3-0 when the dust settled in the fifth.
How many runs?!
UCLA’s scoring frenzy continued in the top of the seventh with another two-run homer by Grant. Senior infielder Jordan Woolery and sophomore infielder Kaniya Bragg each scored a home run of their own following Grant’s.
Five more runs were scored before Bragg batted a three-run homer for UCLA’s twelfth run of the inning. The Bruins weren’t done scoring though. Redshirt junior center fielder Alexis Ramirez and redshirt freshman infielder Aleena Garcia scored a run to end the inning.
UCLA ended the inning with 13 hits and two errors for 14 runs.
The Bruins will play their second game against Illinois on Saturday with an anticipated start time of 11 a.m. PT.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA softball opens the floodgates in seventh inning to beat Illinois
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
