COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jordan Woolery’s two-out, two-run home run capped a four-run rally in the seventh inning and UCLA forced a deciding third game in the Columbia Super Regional with a dramatic 5-4 win over South Carolina on Saturday.
The eighth-seeded Gamecocks were one out away from their first trip to the Women’s College World Series since 1997 when Woolery smacked the first pitch from Sam Gress (14-10) over the leftfield wall for her 23rd home run.
Game 3 is on Sunday.
Gress stymied the ninth-seeded Bruins (53-11) on two hits through four innings before ace Jori Heard came in with a 3-0 lead. UCLA got a quick run on Sofia Mujica’s one-out homer.
Pinch hitter Taylor Stephens drew a leadoff walk to start the ninth and No. 9 hitter Kaitlyn Terry tripled to right center to give UCLA hope. Heard got another strikeout before Savannah Pola grounded a single into center to make it 4-2. That’s when Gress reentered the game.
Taylor Tinsley (15-4) allowed eight hits and two earned runs in a complete game for the Bruins. She didn’t allow the Gamecocks an extra base hit.
Lexi Winters went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs for South Carolina (44-16). She had an RBI single in the first and drove in two runs with a single in the fifth.
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