UCLA walks off Oregon in Women’s College World Series opener

OKLAHOMA CITY — Revenge is always sweeter in the postseason.

The UCLA softball team outlasted Oregon at the Women’s College World Series with seventh-inning heroics that pressed deep into the Oklahoma City night.

After a controversial obstruction call on catcher Alexis Ramirez that saw the Ducks tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, UCLA center fielder Jessica Clements hammered a two-out, two-run homer for a 4-2 walk-off win on Thursday night at Devon Park.

“I feel on top of the world,” said Clements, a graduate transfer from Cal Poly who was playing in her first WCWS game. “That was awesome. This is every girl’s dream. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I never thought I’d be here … I was just trying to take it one step at a time. I got the payoff from it and I’m just so blessed to be here.”

It was Clements’ sixth home run of the season, and it advances the ninth-seeded Bruins (55-11) to a winner’s bracket game against No. 12 seed Texas Tech (51-12) on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT. The Red Raiders, who are led by former Stanford flamethrower NiJaree Canady, edged Mississippi, 1-0, on Thursday.

Before a challenge in the top of the seventh overturned the call on the field to award Oregon a run, Ramirez appeared as if she would play the hero for the Bruins.

The UCLA catcher from La Serna High put her team on top with a two-run blast in the fourth inning, but the Ducks stormed back with their backs against the wall.

Paige Sinicki led off with a double in the top of the seventh, and a bunt moved her over to third with one out.

UCLA left-hander Kaitlyn Terry induced a ground ball from Oregon’s Emma Cox, and third baseman Jordan Woolery’s throw clearly beat Sinicki home, but after a replay review, Ramirez was ruled to have occupied the leading edge of the plate.

“I don’t agree with the call. Period. I thought she was clearly out,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “So with that being said, it is a rule that is interesting. We were eliminated from the World Series (in 2017) when obstruction was clearly just a mess and I believe unfortunately things like this in the game happen. So with that being said, there is nothing. … 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 from.”

Clements then ensured the call would merely serve as an afterthought.

No. 16 seed Oregon (53-9) drops into the loser’s bracket and will face Ole Miss (42-20) in an elimination game on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Oregon and UCLA both left the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten this season, but a late start gave the game a “Pac-12 After Dark” feel. The game started 75 minutes late because storms in the area delayed the previous game, meaning the game between the only West Coast teams in the eight-team tournament didn’t start until nearly 10 p.m. local time.

Before the game could settle into a rhythm, there was a hiccup at Devon Park.

In the bottom of the first, the field lights flickered during back-to-back UCLA at-bats, sending the complex into temporary darkness and prompting a 5-minute delay.

With power quickly restored, the game truly got rolling and Oregon broke the deadlock in the third.

Kaylynn Jones beat out the throw on a slow dribbler toward first base to give the Ducks a leadoff single, and Oregon used its first two outs of the inning to play small ball and advance Jones to third.

Kedre Luschar took advantage of her teammates’ work by knifing a single through the right side to put the Ducks ahead, 1-0.

Luschar wasn’t done tormenting the Bruins in the third.

Second baseman Savannah Pola connected on Oregon righty Lyndsey Grein’s 3-and-1 offering, sending the ball toward the 220-foot sign on the wall in center field.

Luschar camped out on the warning track and pulled the ball back over the fence, however, denying Pola of her 10th home run to end the inning.

But the Bruins were just getting started.

Woolery led the fourth off with a single into shallow left field. Two batters later, Ramirez ensured no Oregon outfielder could add another showstopping grab to the highlight reel.

She hammered a ball high into the bleachers in left for a 2-1 UCLA lead.

Prior to the two-run shot, Grein had held the Bruins scoreless across 15 innings this season.

“We knew it would be a great game,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re a great competitor. They’re a great team. But I loved the way my team fought tonight.”

UCLA stranded a pair of runners in the sixth, but Clements’ dramatic homer sent the Bruins home happy.

Terry (20-5) allowed just four hits with six strikeouts and now walks in seven innings.

“We have a saying. Things happen that are out of our control that can actually frustrate you and get you out of your game,” Inouye-Perez said. “… Things are going to get crazy. Eliminate the noise. … I’m proud of them.”