Arizona softball falters late, loses to UCLA in Women’s College World Series

OKLAHOMA CITY — Malia Quarles delivered when her name was called.

The UCLA sophomore launched a pinch-hit, solo homer in the sixth that provided the game-winning run and opened the floodgates in the Bruins’ 6-2 win over Arizona on Friday.

The Wildcats will play the winner of the Alabama-Florida elimination game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. PT on ESPN, needing a win to keep their season alive. The Bruins stay in the winner’s bracket.

Quarles’ homer snapped a 1-1 tie. The Bruins then added four runs in the seventh to pad their lead.

Aside from a pair of long balls by Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza in the third and seventh, Arizona could not crack UCLA ace Rachel Garcia.

The junior allowed four hits while striking out six and walking none. She also drove in a run via sacrifice fly in the third.

The Wildcats had a prime chance to erase their one-run deficit in the sixth, but Reyna Carranco chased a riseball and Hanah Bowen fouled out to third to strand two runners in scoring position.

UCLA made sure the Wildcats didn’t get another chance.

Aaliyah Jordan doubled home Briana Perez, Brianna Tautalafua drove in Jordan with a sacrifice fly, and UA left fielder Carli Campbell dropped a fly ball on the warning track that plated two more Bruin runs.

After throwing 141 pitches in Thursday’s win over Washington, Arizona ace Taylor McQuillin surrendered six hits against the Bruins, while walking five. The senior was replaced by Alyssa Denham after Campbell’s error.

The defense behind McQuillin was inconsistent at best. After a walk and two mishandled grounders loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, Peanut Martinez made a lunging catch in right to force Garcia settle for a sac fly instead of an extra-base hit.

Campbell made a diving catch to corral a looper down the left-field line to save a run in the fifth, but gave two runs back in the seventh.

Martinez made a great throw to the plate on Tautalafua’s sacrifice fly, but it bounced away from UA catcher Dejah Mulipola, causing the UCLA third baseman to break for home after she initially retreated to third.

This story will be updated.

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