UCLA is eliminated from the Women’s College World Series

Rally caps were shed in the dugout and the small, yet boisterous, contingent of fans in blue and white cheered one last eight clap.

UCLA made a season of coming from behind, but was unable to muster a final rally at the Women’s College World Series.

The Bruins, in an elimination game after dropping an opener to Auburn, surrendered a four-run lead and fell to Florida State, 8-4.

It was the the first time in the Bruins’ 26 World Series appearances that they were eliminated after two games.

“We end this season earlier than I would like but I’m very proud of this team and very proud of my players,” Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said in an unsteady voice. “To end it on the World Series stage is quite an accomplishment.”

When the season began in February, there was doubt that UCLA, a program that has won 11 titles, would make the eight-team bracket.

They couldn’t string together consecutive wins and ended the month losing four straight games, three to teams that would also appear in the World Series.

But the Bruins (40-17-1) committed to playing better defense and their pitchers steadily improved.

In a super regional against Oregon, they dropped the opener before defeating the Pac-12 Conference-champion Ducks in consecutive games, including one that went into extra innings, to earn a second consecutive trip to the World Series.

“Our team lost and won in all types of ways: Come from behind, down five, mercy rules,” Mysha Sataraka said. “I just think the way that we went about the season, there was so many opportunities for us to fall and just give up kind of and I don’t think we ever did and that’s how we ended back here when a lot of people doubted us.”

After one inning Saturday, it didn’t appear that the Bruins, a 12th seed in the 64-team tournament, would need another come-from-behind effort.

Consecutive hits and a pitching mistake loaded the bases for Sataraka, who hit her second home run of the World Series. She drove in all seven of the Bruins’ runs in two games.

After two-thirds of an inning and five UCLA hits, Florida State (54-9) inserted Jessica Burroughs in relief. She gave up two hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“We had going into the game a team plan and I just don’t think we executed as well as we could have,” Sataraka said.

The UCLA pitching staff struggled against the power of Florida State’s offense.

In the second inning, Johanna Graur gave up a home run and loaded the bases before she was replaced by Paige McDuffee.

McDuffee walked in a run to make it 4-2.

In the third, Selina Ta’amilo replaced McDuffee after Florida State, an eighth seed, took the lead, 5-4, on a home run and a sacrifice bunt that scored two.

Ta’amilo gave up a walk and hit a batter before Graur was reinserted.

“It wasn’t so much a lack of rhythm” Graur said, “it was just hats off to Florida State.”