OKLAHOMA CITY — Facing elimination, Megan Grant padded her record-setting home run total during a nine-run second inning and UCLA routed Arkansas, 11-0, in five innings on Friday night at the Women’s College World Series.
Grant’s three-run homer was her 42nd of the season, extending her NCAA record, and the 91st of her career, giving her sole possession of the UCLA career record. Aleena Garcia hit the first pitch of the second inning for a home run and Soo-Jin Berry also went deep with a three-run blast during the early outburst. Kaniya Bragg drove in two runs with a double and every batter in UCLA’s lineup scored a run in the inning.
Jolyna Lamar hit a leadoff home run in the fifth inning.
“Thank God it’s double elimination,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “We got an opportunity to get another chance to get out here and play our game. That’s all we talked about. We’re a contagious hitting team. When they’re loose and have discipline at the plate, great things can happen. I’m very proud that UCLA softball showed up tonight.”
“Everybody got sped up a little bit yesterday. We made a commitment to be able to come in and slow the game down, stick to our training of having discipline at the plate so you can get a good cut on a pitch.”
Grant’s homer broke the 24-year-old program record set by Stacey Nuveman (1998-2002). Grant’s 68 home runs over the past two seasons ties the all-time Division I record.
“I’m just incredibly honored,” Grant said. “Stacey Nuveman was a powerhouse when she played. To be able to say my name is next to hers, I’m truly grateful for it.”
The Bruins extended their Division I single-season records for runs, home runs, RBIs, total bases and extra-base hits.
Eighth-seeded UCLA (53-9) advances to another elimination game Sunday at 4 p.m. PT against either No. 11 seed Texas Tech (58-7), the 2025 national runner-up, or seventh-seeded Tennessee (48-10). Those teams square off Saturday in a winner’s bracket game.
Fifth-seeded Arkansas (47-13), playing in the WCWS for the first time, was eliminated after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
UCLA’s Taylor Tinsley (33-7) allowed three hits (all singles), struck out two and walked two in the five-inning win.
“For Taylor to be able to come in and pound the strike zone, limit her pitch count, all of it was talked about on how we are going to be able to be our best,” Inouye-Perez said. “Great to have an off day tomorrow, but it was huge for them to be able to shorten that game today.”
Arkansas starter Payton Burnham (14-4) allowed four runs in 1⅓ innings.
After Garcia’s leadoff homer in the second, Burnham hit Bragg with a pitch, Alexis Ramirez singled, and Berry ripped a homer to left field for a 4-0 lead.
Saylor Timmerman replaced Burnham and walked Jolyna Lamar and Rylee Slimp before Grant blasted a 260-foot homer that hit a metal fence beyond the wall in left-center field.
“When Megan hits home runs, I back up,” Garcia said. “Megan is different. I mean, when she hits home runs, oh my gosh, her energy.
“She’s a big energy starter for us. Megan has the biggest energy. She’s the biggest killer up to bat. She just starts a lot of things for us. Really proud of her every time I see her step on home plate.”
It was the Bruins’ 63rd WCWS shutout, and it was their largest margin of victory in a shutout at the event (150 games).
“It’s tough getting out here in front of a big crowd, being on a big stage,” Inouye-Perez said. “You’ve been waiting for it your whole life. I have a lot of young Bruins that are experiencing it for the first time. It’s a big strength of our program that freshmen come in and play.”