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UCLA Softball: Bruins advance to Super Regionals after dominant weekend

By Mike Regalado

8 Apr 1998: General view of a bat and glove that belong to Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals during a game against the Colorado Rockies at the Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
8 Apr 1998: General view of a bat and glove that belong to Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals during a game against the Colorado Rockies at the Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport /
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The UCLA Softball team went 3-1 this weekend to win the Los Angeles Regional of the Women’s College World Series and will move on to battle the winner of the Ann Arbor Regional next weekend in Westwood.

The #2 UCLA softball team is moving on! It was a weekend which had an abundance of fireworks in the form of no-hitters, a grand slam, and a vicious knockout blow as the Bruins move on step beyond.

RELATED: UCLA Softball’s Rachel Garcia Named Pac-12 Pitcher and Player of the Year

UCLA continued to dominate the softball field as they entered the first phase of the Women’s College World Series. For the sixth year in a row, UCLA had hosted an NCAA Softball Tournament Regional, and for the sixth year in a row they moved on to the Super Regional. Aside from a hiccup on Sunday, the Bruins completely dominated the weekend.

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Things started on Friday when UCLA blanked Weber State, 6-0, in Game 2 on the regional. The Bruins not only shutout the Wildcats, but pitchers Rachel Garcia and Holly Azevedo combined for a no-hitter, setting quite the tone for their first 2019 postseason game. Garcia went 6 innings with 13 strikeouts, retiring all 18 batters she faced. Azevedo cleaned things up in the final frame, striking out two of the four batters she faced.

On Saturday, it was Bubba Nickles who lit things up to give UCLA the win. The Bruins faced Missouri in the winner’s bracket after the Tigers took down Cal State Fullerton prior the UCLA-Weber State battle on Friday. Nickles struck early in the game as she homered to center to give UCLA the 1-0 lead, the first of three runs in the first inning.

Three innings later, after two more Bruin scores, Nickles hit a grand slam to give UCLA the 9-0 lead. For those keeping track at home, that is a two-homer, 5 RBI performance. Bravo. Missouri was only able to muster up one run in the 5th inning, enforcing the mercy rule which gave the Bruins their second win of the weekend.

On Sunday, after taking out Weber State in the consolation bracket, Missouri once again faced UCLA. The Tigers got their revenge from the previous day as they secured the 5-1 win, but it was a different story in the final game of the regional on Sunday evening.

UCLA got their 49th win of the season as they blew out Missouri by a score of 13-1. Garcia got her 23rd win of the year as she only allowed two hits in five innings. Though she only had four strikeouts, it was enough as the Bruin bats took over with a nine-hit, 11-RBI performance, scoring no less than two runs in every inning. Nickles was once again the heavy hitter in this contest as she had three hits and five RBIs. Kinsley Washington followed that up with two hits and two RBIs of her own.

UCLA now moves on to the Super Regional which takes place next weekend. The Bruins will not find out who they are facing until Monday as they await the winner of the Ann Arbor Regional between #15 Michigan and James Madison. The end of that series was delayed on Sunday due to inclement weather. The Super Regional will take place at Easton Stadium on the campus of UCLA.