Maryland softball and UCLA were deadlocked in a tie at five runs a piece until the bottom of the sixth after Alexis Ramirez smacked a solo home run to left-center in the fifth. The score energized the Bruins and their bats remained hot. UCLA’s leadoff hitter, Maya Brady, singled up the middle, advancing the women on base and bringing home a run for the Bruins’ first lead.
Maryland had dominated the game offensively up until the bottom of the sixth inning, holding the lead for the majority of the contest. The Terps pounced on UCLA for four runs in the first, then saw that lead slowly deteriorate over the next six frames.
Maryland’s first inning onslaught wasn’t enough to carry the Terps through the game in a 6-5 loss. The Terps are now 0-7 all-time against UCLA, their future conference rival.
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Maryland’s offense was its strength all day, starting with a 4-0 win over San Diego at 1 p.m. to open the 2024 season. Big hits by power hitters quickened the pace of the opening game and gave Maryland multiple runs to grow its lead, including Williams’ second inning base hit to right field to take an early lead the Terps never relinquished.
After the Terps’ first inning onslaught, the Bruins swapped pitchers for the second. Freshman Kaitlyn Terry exited after allowing four runs and gave way to junior Cecil Jada, who tossed a perfect second frame.
The switch turned the momentum in favor of UCLA. The Bruins cut their deficit in half in the second with a two-out RBI double from Maya Brady. The next Bruins hitter continued the energy as Savannah Pola singled through the right side to plate two more. A Courtney Wyche strikeout ended the inning before UCLA could erase its deficit.
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After her RBI in the first inning, Jones came through again to extend her team’s advantage with a solo home run in the third. Maryland’s No. 6 hitter smacked a pitch beyond the left-centerfield wall.
In the fourth inning, Maryland showed both stellar defensive plays and costly errors. Megan Mikami robbed UCLA of a big hit, tracking and snatching the ball out of the air before it could sail over the fence. That preceded a Maryland error in the infield that allowed a run to score, which sent the game into the final innings with the Terps up one.
That lead quickly disappeared, then the Bruins captured one of their own that closed the Terps’ first day of the 2024 season with both a dominant win and crushing loss.
