OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Megan Grant hit her NCAA single-season record 42nd home run in a nine-run second inning and UCLA routed Arkansas 11-0 in five innings on Friday night in an elimination game of the Women’s College World Series.
In addition to Grant’s three-run home run, Aleena Garcia hit the first pitch of the inning for a home run and Soo-Jin Berry went deep for three runs. 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.
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 against the loser between Texas Tech and Tennessee, who face off Saturday in the winner’s bracket.
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.
Taylor Tinsley (33-7) allowed three hits, struck out two and walked two in the five-inning win.
Payton Burnham (14-4) allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Grant’s 91st career home run broke the 24-year-old UCLA record of Stacey Nuveman. Grant’s 68 home runs in the past two seasons ties the all-time Division I record.
It was UCLA’s largest margin of victory in a shutout at the WCWS after 150 games.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports