Prolific UCLA offense explodes, ends Arkansas' historic season
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – A historic season for Arkansas came to a humbling end in the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park on Friday night.
UCLA’s record-setting offense banged out four home runs and stayed alive in the elimination bracket with a dominant 11-0 run-rule triumph in five innings over the Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks (47-13) dropped consecutive games for the first time since they were swept by Oklahoma in mid-March of 2025 and it was just the second time in 2026 they were shut out. Bruins ace Taylor Tinsley held the Hogs to three hits, which came from Tianna Bell, Kailey Wyckoff, and Ataylia Rijo.
Payton Burnham worked a quick first inning, throwing just seven pitches, but things quickly fell apart for the Hogs in the second.
Burnham surrendered a first pitch home run to Aleena Garcia, then was pulled after 20 pitches in favor of Saylor Timmerman when Soo-Jin Berry homered to left field. Timmerman issued consecutive walks, then Megan Grant added to her NCAA single-season record with her 42nd home run.
When it was all said and done in the second frame, Arkansas had three pitching changes, issued five free passes and UCLA raced out to a 9-0 lead on six hits. The Bruins added another run in the third on a wild pitch, then in the fifth on a leadoff solo bomb from Jolyna Lamar.
This season’s 47 victories for Arkansas are second-most for a single season in the program’s 30-year history, behind the 48 win mark in 2022.
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