WCWS Day Four: Sooners, Bruins Complete Collision Course
WCWS Day Four: Sooners, Bruins Complete Collision Course
Rachel Garcia sent UCLA into the Women's College World Series finale, where the Bruins will meet top-seeded Oklahoma.
By Michael Kinney
OKLAHOMA CITY — As Rachel Garcia rounded third base with years in her eyes, the moment she seized with her UCLA teammates was overcome with joy and emotion.
Garcia smashed a walk-off homer in the 10th inning to lead the Bruins to a 3-0 victory over Washington in the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series at USA Hall of Fame Stadium.
A WALK OFF TO HEAD TO THE 'SHIP!
— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2019
Player of the year Rachel Garcia took matters into her own hands in the 10th ? pic.twitter.com/5pMm71w7Qn
”A lot of emotions. I'm not going to lie,” Garcia said. “I think I shed a tear. During that battle all I could think about was my grandpa. That kept me calm and collected. Just seeing everyone run out to the home plate just really put a smile on my face. I was just super excited for all of us.”
The win pushed the No. 2 ranked Bruins into WCWS Championship Series, where they will face No. 1 Oklahoma.
UCLA is back in the championship for the first time since winning it all in 2010. But according to Garcia, the loss to Florida State in the semifinals in 2018 is what set them on their current path.
“We've been preparing since day one. I just think being able to work with Coach Lisa (Fernandez) has been a huge factor for us pitchers just mentally preparing us, especially in moments like this,” Garcia said. “We were doing champ camps, cardio workout before our bullpens. If we can get through that, we can get through what we went through right now.”
Because of that, Garcia stayed on the mound for 10 innings in 85-degree heat to shutdown the Huskies. She picked up the win after allowing eight hits, walking four and striking out 16.
That set up Garcia to come to plate in the bottom of the 10th inning with two Bruins on base and two outs on the board. Facing Washington’s Gabbie Plain, she delivered the homer over the left field fence.
According to UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, Garcia’s performance will go down in Bruins lore.
“What Rachel has done for this team and the expectations, just all of those things, I truly believe this definitely will go down as one of the top moments to get UCLA back in the championship game,” Inouye-Perez said. “Especially after what happened last year. Super proud of her for that.”
The Oklahoma and Alabama semifinal matchup encountered dramatics of its own.
A pitching duel between Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Giselle Juarez and Montana Fouts ended with a walk off RBI single by pinch hitter Caroline Hardy in game one.
Game two was more of a slugfest with Oklahoma roaring back with a 7-3 victory.
“This team, I put them in tough situations,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “We were on the road so much. We’ve gone through a lot of different trials. I can’t tell you how proud I am of them. Especially after that really tough game knowing our season was on the line.”
Oklahoma, on the other hand, found themselves with their backs against the wall for only the second time this season. With the game one loss, they had to beat Alabama in their third matchup of the tourney in order to keep their season alive.
Oklahoma went back to their ace Giselle Juarez. After pitching eight innings in the earlier contest, she lasted into the second inning before being pulled when she gave up a solo homer to Alabama’s Reagan Dykes.
Reagan Dykes cuts the deficit in half with a solo blast ?#WCWS | @AlabamaSB pic.twitter.com/oLjdnphj17
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2019
OU’s Mariah Lopez came into the game and held the Crimson Tide at bay long enough for the Sooners to find their offense.
In the fourth inning the Sooners slugger Jocelyn Alo blasted a two-run homer over the centerfield that flew out of the stadium. It was measured at more than 300 feet.
CRUSHED ?#WCWS | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/642MnZPnEZ
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2019
“I came into that at-bat knowing I was not going to be denied again,” Alo said. “I just kind of dug down deep and that happened.”
In the fifth inning, Nicole Mendez and Grace Lyon both hit home runs to put the game away.
Anotha one! ?#WCWS | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/0qxhBxEEQW
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2019
WOW! Grace Lyons joins the Sooner's ? party!#WCWS | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/IK0Ia5gVJE
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2019
“Alabama is one of the best teams we’ve played all season,” Gasso said. “There’s no way that team should have been a No. 8 seed. No way. It was just like a good old-fashioned dog fight, may the best team win. This decided they were not ready to go home.”
The championship series is a rematch from the regular season when UCLA defeated OU 7-1 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. However, after that loss, the Sooners went on a record-breaking 41 game win streak.
“Patty, Oklahoma, we've played. We played earlier this season. I'm very aware they're very offensive,” Inouye-Perez said. “G (Juarez) is somebody we faced in the Pac-12 last year. She's somebody I know is very talented. Looked like she's changed up her game as well. Both teams have pitching, solid offense, some depth. I think it's really going to come down to the team that settles in and plays their game is going to be able to come out and be the national champion.”
Since 2000, Oklahoma (4) and UCLA (3) have combined for seven WCWS championships. That includes the Sooners beating the Bruins in their only other title matchup in 2000.
This will also be the first time since 2005 that the championship series will have No. 1 vs No. 2. Gasso knows it will take everything her team has to get past the Bruins.
“We have got to have some crazy fight. I know both teams are a little worn out. You have a chance -- there's two teams that have a chance to win a national championship,” Gasso said. “There's no such thing as tired, no such thing as hurt. Nothing like that. You just got to live off of adrenaline and give all you have.”