UCLA crushes San Diego State for second win in NCAA regional tournament

The crack of the ball off Jordan Woolery’s bat in the first inning sent a sharp, resounding message — the Bruins weren’t going to let their opponent dictate the tone this time.

“We came out with a purpose,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said with a hand on Woolery’s shoulder. “Jordan Woolery clearly had a day.”

Woolery, UCLA’s RBI leader, went two for three with a three-run homer, a triple and five RBIs to lead the Bruins to a 10-0, six-inning shutout over San Diego State in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Regional on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 9 Bruins (51-10) cruised into Game 6 of the regional, where they’ll have a chance to clinch a spot in the Super Regionals with one more win. Their opponent has yet to be determined for Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. PDT first pitch.

It was a complete role reversal. Just a day after UCLA’s bats stayed quiet through the first four innings in an eventual victory over UC Santa Barbara, the Bruins opened their second regional matchup with intent.

“I shared with the team that everybody wants us to be able to hit all of the time,” Inouye-Perez said. “We understand that things happen, and you’ve got to be able to respond. So yesterday, we didn’t come out and get after it. … Today, they came out with a little more purpose.”

UCLA Sports

UCLA softball opens NCAA regional with dominant win over UC Santa Barbara

Kaitlyn Terry goes one for three at the plate and hits a three-run homer to spark UCLA to a 9-1 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the Los Angeles Regional.

May 16, 2025

On the first pitch, Jessica Clements ripped a leadoff double. One pitch later, Savannah Pola dropped down a bunt and, spotting an uncovered second base, the speedy second baseman turned it into a heads-up double.

With runners in scoring position, Woolery did what’s become second nature — she brought them home, and did so with a bang.

Staying patient in the box, Woolery worked the count full, waiting for a pitch she could drive. She then clobbered a high fly ball that just cleared the glove of San Diego State center fielder Julie Holcomb, sailing over the wall for a three-run homer.

“I got a little bit out of myself yesterday, swinging at some pitches outside the zone,” Woolery said. “I wanted to focus on honing back, hitting my pitches… I was ready to go today.”

A candidate for national player of the year, Woolery is one of UCLA’s most consistent threats near the top of the lineup. She entered the regional ranked fifth in the nation with 75 RBIs — the second-highest single-season mark in program history.

Woolery added another RBI later, legging out a triple after a diving attempt by the Aztecs’ right fielder missed and the ball skipped past, allowing Clements to score. The hit brought her total to six RBIs for the weekend.

In an encore to her heroics at the plate and dominance in relief the night before, Kaitlyn Terry took the mound with poise and command. The left-hander turned in a smooth outing, giving up only two hits and one walk while striking out five.

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Against the Aztecs, Terry’s mindset was to frame the ball, trying not to do too much, but going for the jugular.

Her only trouble came in the bottom of the third. A walk, an infield single and a fielding error loaded the bases, giving San Diego State a prime chance to take the lead. But Terry stayed composed.

After recording two outs, Terry dug in for a seven-pitch battle with Angie Yellen — and won, inducing a routine groundout to end the inning and preserve the Bruins’ lead.

From there, Terry, commanding the circle with her dominant presence, settled in and found her rhythm. She retired nine batters in a row and struck out three — each punchout punctuated by a raw, triumphant scream, a glimpse beyond her reserved demeanor on the way to a complete-game shutout victory.

Following the win, Terry sat with her face flushed, still catching her breath, eyes locked forward as she came down from an intense outing.

“I would always love to be able to pull it back and slow it down, versus having to kick somebody to get going,” Inouye-Perez said of Terry’s intensity. “That’s one thing about her — she has one mode. She’s going, attacking, competing.

“She’s a very, very difficult pitcher to be able to prepare for,” Inouye-Perez added. “When she’s dialed in and she’s spinning pitches and working ahead, you see what she did today.”

A six-run rally in the sixth inning sealed the game via the run rule. Kaniya Bragg opened the onslaught with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single to right field from Terry. Then, just like the night before, Megan Grant delivered the finishing blow — a two-run triple that slammed high off the center-field wall, narrowly missing a three-run homer.

With the win, the Bruins notched back-to-back mercy-rule victories — their 27th of the season, extending a program record.

Earning the rest of the evening to prepare for Sunday’s finale, with their opponent still unknown, Inouye-Perez was frank about the conversation she’s having with her team moving forward.

“I don’t care who we play from now all the way to the end, because we’re going to play teams that have made it to the postseason,” Inouye-Perez said. “Everybody can win at any point. They’ve done something to win. So we’ve got to respect the game, but for us, I want to just play our game, and that’s enough for us to be able to compete with anyone.”