LOS ANGELES – The UCF softball team’s historic 2026 campaign met its end with a 14-4 loss to No. 8 national seed UCLA in game two of the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional.
The Black and Gold kept the contest close through four innings, but the nation’s leader in home runs flexed their muscles late, riding the wave of three long balls in the final two innings to put the game out of reach late. The Bruins posted 11 of their 14 runs over their final three at-bats.
The loss puts an end to a remarkable season for the Knights, one that will rewrite the record book. UCF won its first regional away from the friendly confines of Orlando, downing No. 9 national seed Florida State in a winner-take all game in the regional final for the program’s second NCAA Super Regional appearance. The Black and Gold entered the Super Regional already having set a program record for home runs in a season and swatted a few more out in Los Angeles. The nod to the NCAA Tournament was the 13th in program history and the sixth in a row. It was the first 40-win season for the Knights since joining the Big 12 Conference, its third campaign in one of softball’s best leagues.
The Knights took to the diamond first as the designated home team for Saturday’s contest. UCF’s energy was obvious from the start. After surrendering a leadoff walk, freshman Tori Payne dialed up a double play from the circle, as Sierra Humphreys flipped to Aubrey Evans to roll two.
Evans again made an impact in the home half of the frame. Leading off for the Black and Gold, the senior captain launched a 1-1 pitch well beyond the center field fence. The longball was the 12th of the season for Evans. The 1-0 advantage represented UCF’s first lead in an NCAA Super Regional game, playing in its fourth contest at that level of competition.
UCF added to the highlight tape in the top of the second inning as Samantha Rey flashed the leather on a diving catch in shallow center field, helping the Knights post another zero against the Bruins in the inning.
The Black and Gold encountered a bit of trouble in the top of the third, loading the bases via a single and two walks for the NCAA single-season home run leader Megan Grant. Running the count full, Grant flied a ball to deep left to get the crowd to their feet, but the ball landed in Izzy Mertes’ glove on the warning track. One run scored on the sacrifice fly to even the score at 1-1. After a popup to second base, another run scored with a single to left that just snuck over the outstretched glove of Evans at shortstop. The Knights limited the damage with a fly out to left, down 2-1 midway through the third.
UCLA tallied another run in the top of the fourth as Alexis Ramirez homered to left field with one out in the frame.
The Knights threatened in their half of the fourth as Ashleigh Griffin got the inning started with a leadoff single to third base, a smash that was too hot to handle. With one out, Mertes singled down the left field line. Humphreys kept the line moving by singling to second base, but the runners had to hold after a diving stop in the infield. UCF runners advanced no further, leaving the bases loaded as the following two Knights went down in order.
Eight players made their way to the dish for UCLA in the top of the fifth, adding a trio of runs to the scoreboard. It started by the Bruins loading the bases with no outs and plating one on a hit by pitch on the following batter. With one gone, Ramirez struck against the Knights one more time, doubling down the left field line to score two, pushing the UCLA edge to 6-1.
UCF snapped back with three of their own in the bottom of the fifth as Destiny Washington laced a base knock to center to start the inning. Samantha Rey followed with a ground ball back up the box, putting runners on the corners. Rey was in motion on the base paths, swiping second. UCLA couldn’t field the throw down, allowing Washington to scamper home and Rey to come around to third. A diving snag by the Bruins’ left fielder allowed Rey to score on a sacrifice fly, making it 6-3. For the second straight inning, the Knights loaded the bases as Beth Damon and Mertes singled before Humphreys walked. Representing the eighth batter of the inning, Shyanne Irvin who came on as a defensive sub at catcher earlier in the game, worked a walk on nine pitches to scratch another run across, trimming the deficit to 6-4. The free pass was the fourth of the season drawn by Irvin.
The Bruins got all three of those runs back in the top of the sixth as Aleena Garcia displayed opposite-field power, sending a three-run shot beyond the right field wall making the game 9-4. UCLA piled on five more runs in the seventh inning, Jordan Woolery, Bri Alejandre and Garcia all hit home runs to extend the advantage to 14-4.
UCLA, which has won an NCAA-best 12 national titles has only lost four times at Easton Stadium over the last two years. The Bruins punched their 34th ticket to the Women’s College World Series in program history with the game two victory.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.