UCLA Softball: Maya Brady, Bruins' Revenge Tour Makes Super Regional Stop

The UCLA Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament with a single goal: to prolong their season.

The UCLA Bruins had one goal in mind heading into the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, extend the season. After losing their first two games at home last year in the Los Angeles Regional, their disappointment wouldn’t be repeated.

In a rematch against Grand Canyon, the team who handed them their first loss in 2023, UCLA run-ruled the Lopes twice with scores of 9-0 on Friday and 9-1 on Sunday. En route to their 14th Super Regional appearance, senior shortstop Maya Brady joined some elite company entering the top 10 on UCLA’s all-time hits list in the fifth inning of Sunday’s contest.

“We knew that the run-rule on Friday didn’t mean anything, we were just ready to play,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said during Sunday’s press conference. “If we wanted to extend our season, we had to take it today no matter who was in the other dugout. It’s about us.”

The Bruins have made this entire season about them pitifully opening the year and struggling to stay afloat after losing to Texas, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Baylor, and Florida in the first three weeks. They also opened conference play with a series loss to Washington. All of the losses were uncharacteristic of the legendary program.

However, the ugly memories from the beginning of the year are behind them. One of those memories includes the Georgia Bulldogs who beat the Bruins 7-2 on February 16.

The Bulldogs saw a young Taylor Tinsley who entered that game 0-2 and gave up six earned runs on five hits and four walks. Now, they will see a version of Tinsley who has matured in front of a national audience and put this team on her back.

“We wouldn’t be sitting in this room if it wasn’t for Taylor Tinsley and what she’s done throughout this entire season. She’s put the team on her back,” Inouye-Perez said. “Her presence has just locked on and the growth that she’s had from last year to this year is just truly amazing.”

The sophomore has figured out her role and helped the Bruins win the final Pac-12 title for the regular season and tournament but the not-so-secret weapon for the Bruins could be freshman lefty Kaitlyn Terry who has won 20 games and lost one.

“The best thing about KT is that the game doesn’t know how old you are,” Inouye-Perez said on Friday. “...her maturity is so impressive. She’s very loose. That’s something that you need to have; confident, very loose, and accountable.

UCLA has its sights set on Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series, but first is a best-of-three series at Easton Stadium against Georgia. The Bulldogs haven’t seen this phase of UCLA.

“It’s what we call the ‘success phase’ and it’s the best time of the season,” Inouye-Perez said. “Right now, we just want to keep on playing … and right now, we’re really enjoying playing softball.”

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