Oregon falls to UCLA in opener of Women’s College World Series

Making a record 33^rd appearance in the NCAA Women’s College World Series, 12-time national champion UCLA made it clear they had been there before.

The Bruins took the final game of opening day — even if the day had already ended and the clock in Oklahoma City had ticked past midnight — in a 4-2 win over the Oregon softball team with a walk-off, two-run home run by senior Jessica Clements. 

The loss puts 16^th-seeded UO, now 53-9, in a must-win situation today against unseeded Ole Miss (42-20) at 6:30 p.m. PDT. The loser is done for the season, while the winner stays alive and plays at 4 p.m., Sunday, against the loser of Saturday’s matchup between opening day victors Oklahoma, winners of the past four national titles, and Texas.

The Ducks haven’t lost two straight games all season.

“This group is so good at bouncing back. We’ve shown it all year,” said senior shortstop Paige Sinicki, who tied the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh on a play where she was initially called out trying to score from third base on a fielder’s choice by Bruin third baseman Jordan Woolery.

UCLA catcher Alexis Ramirez appeared to block the plate and UO head coach Melyssa Lombardi challenged the call, and it was overturned.

“I don’t agree with the call. Period,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “I thought she was clearly out.”

But the game wasn’t tied for long.

After UCLA freshman shortstop Kaniya Bragg grounded out, another freshman, Sofia Mujica, came to bat and smashed a single up the middle off UO pitcher Elise Sokolsky. 

Sokolsky was able to get a second out when Bruins’ pitcher Kaitlynn Terry’s pop fly was caught by Ducks’ third baseman Katie Flannery.

But then came Clements, the Cal Poly transfer playing in her one and only season with UCLA, to the plate.

With a 0-1 count, she took a pitch down the middle and drilled it deep into center field.

“This is every girl’s dream,” Clements said. “This has been a dream for as long as I can remember. I never thought I’d be here. I’m super-blessed to be here.”

If you haven’t seen the Bruins, now 55-11, play this year, well, it’s somewhat of a sight to behold. UCLA takes playing loose to a whole other level. They wear yellow and blue party hats and star-shaped sunglasses as they jump around and sing and bang the dugout while holding signs that say “It’s party time” and “Bruin Magic.”

“Our dugout’s insane,” Clements said on the field after the game while being interviewed by an ESPN reporter and talking about listening to “pickle jar” (the dugout party apparently includes worshipping a jar of kosher dill pickle spears) while wearing those star-shaped sunglasses and at least three of those tiny party hats. 

“We love to party and we love to have a good time,” Clements said.

But it was the Ducks, making their first WCWS appearance since 2018, who partied their way to home plate first Thursday in a game that started about 75 minutes late after the prior game, Texas Tech-Ole Miss, was delayed by lightning storms.

Oregon took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI single by senior center fielder Kedre Luschar, a shot on the ground into right field that scored freshman Kaylynn Jones.

“How she’s been coming up clutch all year has been so impressive,” Lombardi said of Luschar, who also had a home-run saving catch in the bottom of the third off UCLA senior Savannah Polo that would have tied the game, 1-1. 

“I’m just extremely proud of her and looking forward to seeing her do it again tomorrow,” Lombardi said.

The game was a bit of a pitcher’s duel for the first three innings, as UO ace Lyndsey Grein (29-2) and Terry both stymied the bats. 

That ended in the bottom of the fourth after the All-American Woolery ripped a single to left field. Three batters later, Ramirez blasted a two-out homer into the left field stands.

Grein, who recorded two of her wins earlier in the season against the Bruins in Eugene, had pitched 14 1/3 scoreless innings against the team from Westwood.

Grein said she’s focusing on “sticking to my process” when the Ducks take the field today against the Rebels. 

“I think I always try to stay locked in on what I can do for our team,” said the junior transfer who was just named a third-team NFCA All-American.

“I love our fight throughout the entire game,” Lombardi said. “It was a dogfight. I think Lyndsey did a great job on the mound, our defense was great.

“I just look at two swings that were the difference-maker. I’m just proud of these guys and how they came back. They tied the game up and gave us a chance to win the ballgame.”