The UCLA softball team began its 2026 season with two decisive victories at Easton Stadium on Friday, defeating UC Santa Barbara 18-1 and Northern Colorado 10-1. Both games ended after five innings due to the mercy rule.
UCLA, ranked No. 7 nationally, opened the year with a combined total of 28 runs, 22 hits, and seven home runs across the doubleheader. Senior infielder Jordan Woolery led the offense by going 6-for-7 with nine RBIs and two home runs, one of which was a grand slam. Megan Grant, who competes in two sports for UCLA, reached base six times in seven plate appearances and hit her 50th career home run, becoming just the tenth player in program history to achieve that mark.
Sophomores Rylee Slimp and Sofia Mujica each homered on Opening Day for the second consecutive season. Slimp hit a home run during UCLA’s first at-bat of the season and added a triple in her next appearance. She finished with three hits in five at-bats and scored five runs while leading off.
Mujica appeared only in game two but homered in both of her first two at-bats for her second career multi-home run game.
In the opener against UC Santa Barbara, UCLA scored in every inning played. Slimp started the scoring with a lead-off homer. The Bruins posted an eight-run second inning after four hits and four walks sparked a rally with two outs. Slimp contributed with a triple that drove in two runs before Kaniya Bragg hit a three-run homer to extend the lead further. Woolery added an RBI single as part of a seven-run third inning.
Woolery closed out the first game’s offense with her first home run of the season in the fourth inning. Senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley earned her 40th career win by striking out six batters and pitching a complete game.
In game two versus Northern Colorado, freshman pitcher Natalie Cable struck out eight hitters to earn her first collegiate victory while allowing only three hits after issuing one walk to start the contest.
UCLA relied on home runs for its early scoring against Northern Colorado, including two from Mujica and one from Grant. A grand slam by Woolery capped off a seven-run fourth inning that put UCLA ahead comfortably.
Cable finished strong by striking out all three batters she faced in the fifth inning on just 14 pitches.
The Bruins will continue their schedule Saturday at the Mark Campbell Invitational at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, California, facing Oregon State at 4 p.m. PT and Utah at 6:30 p.m. PT. Both games will be available via streaming on FloCollege.
