UCLA softball delivers Sunday sweep to advance to Women’s College World Series

UCLA’s Gabrielle Maurice watches her solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score against Oregon on Sunday. UCLA won twice Sunday to qualify for the Women's College World Series. Collin Andrew - The Register-Guard via AP

UCLA’s Gabrielle Maurice watches her solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score against Oregon on Sunday. UCLA won twice Sunday to qualify for the Women’s College World Series. Collin Andrew – The Register-Guard via AP

UCLA softball head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez often talks about “Bruin Magic.” On Sunday, the Bruins used some of their magic to go from two outs away from elimination to their second straight trip to the Women’s College World Series.

UCLA got two 2-1 victories on Sunday against Oregon in the Super Regional to come back from a Game 1 loss and advance to the WCWS for the second straight year.

Clutch hitting punctuated two stellar pitching performances from Selina Ta’amilo and Paige McDuffee. Just one day after the Ducks put up eight runs on the Bruins, Oregon, the Pac-12 top offense, was limited to just two runs in as many games. Ta’amilo and McDuffee combined to give up just eight hits on the day and at one point kept the Ducks scoreless for 14 straight innings. Oregon scored only in the first inning of Game 2 and the last inning of Game 3.

“Our focus has been scoring as many runs as possible, but this weekend has really been about some outstanding pitching,” Inouye-Perez told reporters.

The WCWS starts Thursday and the Bruins face Auburn in the first round at 11:30 a.m. It’s televised on ESPN.

Read the full recap of Sunday’s UCLA sweep here.