UCLA softball escaped an extremely painful loss on Sunday in the Women’s College World Series thanks to a rules technicality that worked in their favor.
The drama unfolded in the top of the seventh inning—the final regulation inning of college softball—with the Bruins trailing by two runs and facing potential elimination.
With a runner on and the Bruins down to their final out, first baseman Megan Grant stepped up to the plate and sent the first pitch she saw out of the park, tying the game up.
But as Grant rounded third and ran home to her teammates that had surrounded home plate, she made a grave mistake—she missed touching home plate.
Had the umpire called it in the moment, she could have been out, but Grant was initially called safe on the play because come on who is looking at that in that moment. But the play would be reviewed for 10 minutes, with slow motion replaying showing that 1) Grant definitely missed tagging home plate and 2) she was touched by a teammate, who was making sure that she did touch home plate, before she touched home plate on her second attempt.
After an excruciatingly long review, UCLA was ultimately bailed out by a quirk in the rulebook. The umpire announcing the result of the review said yes, Grant did miss home plate, and yes she was assisted, but ultimately, the play was not reviewable by the letter of the law.
So after all that, tie ballgame. Watch the whole thing unfold below.
"The runner did miss home plate, it was assisted. However, that play is not reviewable."
— ESPN (@espn) June 1, 2025
UCLA tied the game with this home run in the seventh inning. Tennessee challenged the play and the ruling was ultimately upheld after review. pic.twitter.com/8HzgMhUQ76
This was going to be a heartbreaking review either way.
On one side, you have to feel for Tennessee players and fans, who were told by the letter of the law that yes the game should be over and you should have won, but the umps made a whoopsie with no take-backs.
On the other side, if the ruling had gone against UCLA, I mean is that really what we want sports to be in 2025? Decided not by a brilliant swing on a ball but by a slow motion replay to officiate whether a player who had already done the sports part of the play touched the proper square inch of real estate with her big toe?
Online, fans on both sides of the argument made their case, though most seemed to sympathize with the Bruins in the ordeal.
If a team loses a College World Series softball game over this, that’s a real shame. #UCLA #Vols #WCWS pic.twitter.com/N9lmksya1s
— Scott Barrett (@ByScottBarrett) June 1, 2025
Tennessee fans crying and complaining because they didn’t win on a technicality is so funny. UCLA hit a home run, play on.
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) June 1, 2025
Dawg just give UCLA softball the home run, ending a World Series game on this kind of a call would be terrible for the game
— pbj (@pbj_5_) June 1, 2025
I'm watching this UCLA-Tennesee game, and they just screwed Tennessee because the UCLA girl didn't touch home plate and should be out.
— JB1 (@CountryBoiJB1) June 1, 2025
Tennessee was robbed on that call. UCLA should've been sent packing right then and there. Ugh.
— Seth Oliveras (@SethOliveras) June 1, 2025
Please for the love of softball do not overturn the home run. And not bc I want UCLA to win. Just please do not do that to this poor athlete!
— Jen Steele (@CoachJenSteele) June 1, 2025
The game would head to extra innings tied 4–4.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UCLA Escapes Unimaginably Painful Loss in WCWS Thanks to Rule Technicality.
