UCLA Softball: Maya Brady, Bruins One Win Away from Women's College World Series

Tom Brady's niece showcased her prowess on the diamond with a scorching performance at Easton Stadium.

Photo Credit: Ross Turteltaub

Maya Brady is swinging one of the hottest bats in college softball.

She just lit Easton Stadium on fire when she delivered a multi-home run performance on Thursday night against the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs.

The back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year went 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double propelling the No. 6 UCLA Bruins to an 8-0, run-rule victory in six innings over Georgia in the first game of the best-of-three Super Regional series.

Pleasure doing business with you, @BradyMaya 🤝#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/muVrNS1F1N

— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 24, 2024

“I’ll just say this: Game 1 is always the biggest one,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to be able to appreciate tonight, get some rest and come back because I guarantee it’ll be a dogfight tomorrow.”

The mercy-rule victory is the first for UCLA in the Super Regional round since 2010 against Louisiana. The Bruins went on to win their 11th national title that season. Game 2 of the series is Friday at 7 p.m. and the if necessary game would be Saturday.

Brady is 9-for-12 in four postseason games with six extra-base hits and five RBIs. She led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run and the UCLA offense never looked back.

THAT'S A SUPER START‼️@BradyMaya sets the tone with her 70th career home run to leadoff the game for the Bruins!

📺: ESPN2
📲: https://t.co/T5Ovxk6xCw#GoBruins | #LevelUp pic.twitter.com/c0z22eEdF5

— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 24, 2024

“It’s just literally trying to put my team in the best position to get us a dub at the end of the day or at least a little room against a swinging team like (Georgia,)” Brady said. “Everything I do is for my teammates.”

Freshman pitch Kaitlyn Terry pitched a complete game giving up four hits, walking three, and striking out five in her Super Regional debut.

Jordan Woolery hit UCLA’s third home run of the night in the bottom of the fifth, blasting one to dead center field scoring Jadelyn Allchin and pinch runner Gabriel Jaquez, who joined the softball program for this role specifically this postseason.

Savannah Pola ended the game with a single to right field scoring pinch runner Taylor Stephens and Allchin.

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