Jessica Clements hit a two-run walk-off home run with two outs to lead UCLA past Oregon 4-2 on Thursday night in the Women's College World Series opener for both teams.
“I feel on top of the world,” Clements said. “That was awesome.”
Clements' blast off Oregon reliever Elise Sokolsky lifted ninth-seeded UCLA (55-11) into a matchup with No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday for a spot in the semifinals. The Bruins are well positioned to challenge for a record 13th World Series title.
“Game 1 is the biggest one,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “Our ability to get this one is something I’m very proud of."
Clements’ sixth homer of the season was the second walk-off home run of the day — Oklahoma’s Ella Parker hit a three-run blast against Tennessee during the early session.
Kaitlyn Terry got the win for UCLA. She gave up four hits and one earned run in seven innings.
Sokolsky took the loss in relief of Lyndsey Grein, leaving No. 16 Oregon (53-9) to play unseeded Mississippi on Friday in an elimination game.
“There’s no point in looking back at the past,” Grein said. “The future might not look perfect, but it also could work out really well for the Ducks, and I think it will.”
Oregon and UCLA both left the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten this season, but a late start gave it a Pac-12 feel. The game started 75 minutes late because storms in the area delayed the previous game. It was fitting that the game between the only West Coast teams at the World Series didn't start until nearly 10 p.m. local time.
For two brief moments, right at 10 p.m. and a few minutes later, the lights went out for several seconds and many fans turned on the flashlights on their cellphones to illuminate Devon Park.
Once the lights came on for good, there was plenty of action.
Oregon’s Kedre Luschar hit a single that scored Kaylynn Jones in the third inning to put the Ducks up 1-0.
UCLA’s Alexis Ramirez cranked a two-run home run in the fourth — just her fifth of the season — to put the Bruins up 2-1.
In the seventh, with UCLA still leading 2-1, the Bruins appeared to have the second out when Oregon's Paige Sinicki was called out on a play at the plate. The call was overturned because of obstruction by Ramirez, and the run tied the score at 2.
“It was obstruction,” Inouye-Perez said. “They called it obstruction. Period. The fact that we answered back and walked it off is what I want to walk away from this game with. I’m proud of them. They didn’t let that carry the momentum.”
Up next: The Ducks face Ole Miss on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN).
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