UCLA Walks off to Win 2019 Women’s College World Series Title vs. Oklahoma

Alonzo Adams/Associated Press

The No. 2 UCLA Bruins clubbed 8 home runs in their two-game series against the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, but all it took to win the 2019 Women’s College World Series was a single.

Kinsley Washington looped the game-winning base hit into left field, and while the play at the plate was a matter of inches, UCLA slid into its first national title since 2010. The Bruins defeated Oklahoma 5-4 in Game 2 Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

The Bruins handed the Sooners their worst loss in 24 years in Monday’s Game 1 by dominating 16-3. Oklahoma bounced back in Game 2, but UCLA continued to overwhelm with the long ball. For the second night in a row, four different Bruins drilled four solo home runs.

The game-winner looked to be off the bat of Brianna Tautalafua in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Shay Knighten tied the game 4-4 in the top of the seventh with the Sooners down to their final out.

Sooners starting pitcher Giselle Juarez performed much better in Game 2 than she did Game 1, completing the game at 124 pitches, but she came up just short against UCLA’s hot bats.

Big 12 Player of the Year Sydney Romero delivered with a home run in the top of the third inning, but the Sooners will kick themselves for leaving her on base after her leadoff double in the top of the first.

While the Sooners batted around on back-to-back USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Rachel Garcia to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth, she pitched a complete game and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

The Bruins now hold 12 national titles, the most all time in Division I college softball.

Meanwhile, it’s a bitter end for a successful Sooners senior class that captured two national titles (2016 and 2017) in four years.