Taylor Tinsley Carries Ucla Softball Past South Carolina 7-2

ucla softball got the answer it needed Saturday afternoon. Taylor Tinsley threw a complete game and UCLA beat South Carolina 7-2 at Easton Stadium in an NCAA Tournament Regional, putting the Bruins one victory from hosting a Super Regional next weekend.

Tinsley Rebounds Quickly

Tinsley allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out six and walked one. Both South Carolina runs came on solo home runs, but the Bruins stayed in control after she absorbed a career-worst outing Friday night against California Baptist, when she gave up nine runs in one inning.

Kelly Inouye-Perez had seen enough volatility to know the response mattered, and Tinsley delivered it with a full-game workload in a postseason bracket that has leaned heavily on her. She has started every postseason game and pitched more than half of UCLA’s innings this season, a load made more notable by the departures of Kaitlyn Terry and Addisen Fisher after last season.

Megan Grant Supplies Early Damage

The offensive lift came fast. Megan Grant hit a two-run home run in the second inning for her 39th homer of the season, and Aleena Garcia and Bri Alejandre also went deep for UCLA.

That was enough to keep South Carolina from settling in, especially after it opened a two-on, one-out threat in the fourth inning. Jolyna Lamar caught a fly ball in center field, threw toward home, and Jordan Woolery fielded the throw at the plate before firing to third to double off the runner and end the sequence.

UCLA’s Path Next Weekend

The win pushed UCLA to 49-8 and left Tinsley at 29-6. Kiki Rice attended the game to support Grant and the Bruins, a small scene around a team that now needs one more win to reach the right to host next weekend’s Super Regional.

Inouye-Perez put the assignment plainly after the game: “In the postseason, one of the most important things you can do is have a short-term memory.” UCLA had one on Friday night. On Saturday, Tinsley and the Bruins turned it into a 7-2 regional win.