Alabama softball prepares for 'Bronx Bombers' UCLA squad
· Yahoo Sports
OKLAHOMA CITY — Alabama-UCLA.
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It has a ring to it, and rightfully so. The two softball programs have earned their ways to Oklahoma City backed by uniquely historic seasons.
No. 1 overall seed Alabama (54-7) will take on No. 8 UCLA (52-8) at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, May 28 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Megan Grant broke the NCAA single-season record for home runs with the 38th of her senior season at UCLA against Nebraska in the Big Ten championship game. Heading into the Women's College World Series, she's since padded that record to 40 homers and has 87 RBIs to pair with the longballs.
And yet, Grant is not the only power source for the Bruins. She is one of eight players on the UCLA roster with at least 13 home runs, followed closest by senior Jordan Woolery's 34. The Bruins lead all Division I softball teams with 200 home runs.
Woolery adds 112 RBIs and a .500 batting average to her resume. Paired with Grant, UCLA has one of the most lethal duos in college softball.
"What Megan and Jordan have done, we just haven't seen," UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. "The impact that Megan and Jordan have had to this team to get us back here is something that will go down in history."
But Alabama softball has a plethora of weapons of its own. SEC Coach of the Year Patrick Murphy has led this Alabama softball squad to an energy that is reminiscent of a sweet-2012-Championship scent. The circle is well-rounded. Every spot in the lineup is a threat not to be taken lightly. And on the field, it comes together to Murphy's ideal "gritty, not pretty" makeup.
"I consider Pat (Murphy) a friend in that I have a lot of respect for his style of play," Inouye-Perez said. "They play aggressive. I believe that their culture is strong. They can pitch. They can hit. They can defend. There's a lot of respect for the program. We've gone back and forth through the years, and I expect nothing more than just a great, competitive ballgame."
Alabama has seen UCLA before, but the Crimson Tide hasn't seen much success historically. Alabama is 1-6 against the Bruins, last falling to UCLA in a 6-3 loss Feb. 15, 2025. Alabama's only win against UCLA came in the 2021 Women's College World Series.
"It's like the New York Yankees, Murderer's Row. It is obviously a very difficult lineup to pitch against, to defend against," Murphy said of the Bruins. "It is the Bronx Bombers, for sure, and I know we're going to do anything and everything. We're going to throw the kitchen sink and see what happens."
If Alabama wins vs. UCLA, the Crimson Tide will face the winner of No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Arkansas. If Alabama loses, it will face the loser of that game.
Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama softball prepares for 'Bronx Bombers' UCLA squad