Clements Walk-Off Homer Lifts UCLA Over Oregon 4-2

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a thrilling finish to the Women’s College World Series opener, Jessica Clements propelled UCLA to victory against Oregon with a dramatic two-run walk-off home run on Thursday night, securing a 4-2 win.
Clements, clearly exhilarated by her game-winning hit off Oregon’s relief pitcher Elise Sokolsky, expressed her elation with the words, “I feel on top of the world. That was awesome.”
This significant triumph advances ninth-seeded UCLA (55-11) to face off with No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday, providing them a strong opportunity to contend for a record 13th World Series title. UCLA’s head coach, Kelly Inouye-Perez, emphasized the importance of this initial victory, saying, “Game 1 is the biggest one. Our ability to get this one is something I’m very proud of.”
Clements’ home run, her sixth of the season, was not the only walk-off hit that day; earlier, Oklahoma’s Ella Parker celebrated a similar feat against Tennessee.
UCLA’s pitcher, Kaitlyn Terry, secured the win by allowing just four hits and one earned run over seven innings. On the other side, Elise Sokolsky took the loss for Oregon after pitching in relief of Lyndsey Grein, leaving No. 16 Oregon (53-9) to face unseeded Mississippi on Friday in a do-or-die elimination match.
Grein remained optimistic about the Ducks’ chances, saying, “There’s no point in looking back at the past. The future might not look perfect, but it also could work out really well for the Ducks, and I think it will.”
This year marked a significant transition for both Oregon and UCLA as they departed from the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten. Nonetheless, the intense matchup retained a familiar Pac-12 atmosphere. A delay of 75 minutes due to thunderstorms pushed the game’s start time to nearly 10 p.m. local time, further contributing to the night’s West Coast rivalry ambience.
At exactly 10 p.m. and again shortly thereafter, a brief power outage darkened the stadium, prompting spectators to illuminate the park with their cellphone flashlights. Once power was fully restored, the game continued full of enthusiasm and action.
Oregon took an early lead with Kedre Luschar driving in Kaylynn Jones with a single in the third inning, gaining a 1-0 advantage. UCLA’s Alexis Ramirez responded in the fourth inning with a two-run home run—her fifth of the season—pushing UCLA ahead 2-1.
In the tense final inning, with UCLA holding onto their narrow lead, the game saw a dramatic turn when Oregon’s Paige Sinicki tied the score at 2 after an obstruction call against Ramirez overturned a play at the plate.
The obstruction decision was straightforward, according to UCLA’s coach Inouye-Perez, who remarked, “It was obstruction. They called it obstruction. Period. The fact that we answered back and walked it off is what I want to walk away from this game with. I’m proud of them. They didn’t let that carry the momentum.”