蜜柚直播

LOS ANGELES 鈥� When it comes to college softball, the 蜜柚直播-UCLA rivalry is second to none.

The powerhouse programs have combined to win 19 of the 35 Women鈥檚 College World Series titles all time; they鈥檝e met in the WCWS Championship Finals seven times.

After winning the 蜜柚直播 Regional, the No. 14-seeded Wildcats are set to play in their fifth consecutive Super Regional 鈥� this time in Los Angeles against the third-ranked Bruins. The best-of-three series starts Thursday at 6 p.m.

This is the first postseason meeting between both programs since 2010, when 蜜柚直播 finished as WCWS runner-up.

鈥淎 lot of history, tradition. It鈥檚 kind of like our rivalry between us and ASU 鈥� you just hate them,鈥� senior Ashleigh Hughes said. 鈥淪o, every time we meet, it鈥檚 just a clash of a lot of history and a lot of competition.鈥�

The Wildcats know UCLA is a formidable team, but their biggest obstacle will be the Bruins鈥� ace, Rachel Garcia. The sophomore was named to the 2018 USA Softball National Team World Championship roster; she has a 30-3 record in the circle this season.

One of her losses came in Saturday鈥檚 regionals. Cal State Fullerton stunned the Bruins 3-2 in nine innings, pushing the hosts into the loser鈥檚 bracket. UCLA rallied, winning again on Saturday and twice on Sunday to advance.

UCLA will continue to ride Garcia through the Super Regionals, but she may not be as fresh after pitching five games in three days. Garcia threw 501 pitches over the three days.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, won their regional championship in three games. Coach Mike Candrea had wanted to rest ace Taylor McQuillin the third day, but a hiccup in the plans 鈥� starter Alyssa Denham faltered 鈥� forced McQuillin back into the circle. Still, McQuillin threw only 275 pitches in the three-game set.

蜜柚直播 slugger Jessie Harper said the team will be OK if it can figure out how to hit against Garcia.

鈥淚 think she鈥檚 a very smart pitcher,鈥� Harper said. 鈥淪he works well to get ahead and when she is ahead she can play with you a little bit, but I have confidence in our team that we鈥檙e going to be able to hit her.鈥�

McQuillin, meanwhile, will try to slow down a Bruins team that swept the UA in 蜜柚直播 last month.

鈥淚 think this weekend is going to be maintaining everything that I鈥檝e done throughout the season,鈥� McQuillin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to change my routine now; I鈥檓 going to keep rolling with it.鈥�

Past results may not matter, UA players and coaches say, because the Wildcats are a different team than they were in April. At the time they last played UCLA, the Cats were coming off a rough road trip at Oregon, where the Ducks swept and outscored the Wildcats 23-2. It was a low point in 蜜柚直播鈥檚 roller-coaster season.

Now, 蜜柚直播 is two wins away from advancing to the Women鈥檚 College World Series.

鈥淚 think this weekend for sure is going to be completely different,鈥� first baseman Alyssa Palomino said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know what we can do. They haven鈥檛 seen our best team, and I think it鈥檚 going to be a better battle this time.鈥�