OKLAHOMA CITY — UCLA was unable to recreate Thursday’s late dramatics at the WCWS.
After walking Oregon off in their Oklahoma City opener, the 9-seeded Bruins needed to erase a two-run deficit to Texas Tech in the seventh inning on Saturday.
Former Stanford star NiJaree Canady held UCLA to two hits through the first six innings, with Kaniya Bragg’s fifth-inning homer serving as the Bruins’ only breakthrough.
Alexis Ramirez gave UCLA life in the bottom of the seventh. She singled off Canady, then Rylee Slimp followed her catcher with a single of her own to put a pair on with no outs. Bragg was then retired on a routine pop up, then Canady struck out pinch hitter Sofia Mujica. Kailtyn Terry then rolled into a fielder’s choice, and Texas Tech escaped with a 3-1 win at Devon Park.
The win moved 12-seeded Texas Tech (52-12) within one win of the WCWS championship series, while it pushed UCLA (55-12) to the brink of elimination.
The Bruins, who faced Canady four times in her two years at Stanford, nearly got to the dominant right-hander early.
A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for the Bruins in the second inning, but Canady was able to wriggle out of the jam. The star hurler changed speeds to strike out Taylor Stephens, then she fed a ground ball to the left side of the infield to retire Terry and keep UCLA off the board.
A daring call from Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco nosed the Red Raiders in front in the fifth.
Canady hammered a one-out double to the wall to put a pair of runners in scoring position, but UCLA perfectly played a ground ball to save a run and throw out Lauren Allred at the plate. Makayla Garcia, who pinch ran for Canady, advanced to third on the fielder’s choice, which set things up for Glasco. With Texas Tech catcher Victoria Valdez in the right-handed batter’s box, Glasco instructed Garcia to steal home.
Ramirez didn’t see Garcia dart toward the plate, and all the UCLA catcher could do was watch as Garcia safely slid between her legs to score the first run of the game.
But the Bruins wouldn’t trail for long.
Bragg, UCLA’s freshman shortstop, knotted the contest up with a laser to right. It was her 10th home run of the season, and just the 10th long ball Canady has allowed all year.
Texas Tech wrestled the lead back in the sixth.
UCLA starter Taylor Tinsley quickly worked through the first two batters of the frame, needing just five pitches to serve up a pair of groundouts to her infield to bring up Red Raider shortstop Hailey Toney. Toney got out ahead of Tinsley 2-0, though the right-hander was able to battle back to a full count. Tinsley missed her spot on the 3-2 delivery, however, and Toney lifted the ball over the wall to put Texas Tech back on top 2-1.
The junior pitcher battled admirably across from Canady, allowing three hits through six innings, but Raegan Jennings converted a one-out walk issued by Tinsley in the seventh into an insurance run with an RBI single.
The Bruins won’t have long to dwell on the loss.
UCLA now flips sides of the bracket, and the Bruins will have to stave off elimination against the 7-seeded Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Volunteers dumped 3-seeded Florida out of the WCWS on Friday, and the winner between the Bruins and Tennessee will have to beat 6-seeded Texas twice on Monday to advance to the championship series.
