Day 3 Pac-12 Softball Tournament results, updated bracket

The championship matchup is set for the Pac-12 softball tournament, with Utah continuing a run into the title game to face UCLA. And both semifinals on Friday were low-scoring affairs.

In the first semifinal, No. 6 seed Utah faced No. 2 seed Stanford. And the Utes jumped on pitcher Regan Krause early, scoring runs in the top of the 1st and 3rd innings on singles. After four innings of work from Krause, the Cardinal turned to star and national leader in earned run average NiJaree Canady in the circle. And though Canady didn’t let up any more runs, she couldn’t do much about the stagnant Stanford offense.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the 7th inning that the Cardinal broke through — and had a chance to win in walk-off fashion. After getting down to the final strike multiple times, Taryn Kern stood in with a full count, two outs, and the bases loaded. She reached first on a base on balls, and Stanford trailed by a run with the bases still loaded. When Emily Jones hit a sharp ground ball to Utah shortstop Shonty Passi, Kaitlyn Lim ran into her coming from second base and was called out for runners interference, ending the game.

In the nightcap, No. 1 seed UCLA faced a red-hot offense in No. 5 seed Arizona. The Wildcats didn’t take long to strike, squaring up the pitches from pitcher Kaitlyn Terry. Then Carlie Scupin stepped into the lefty batter’s box with a pair of runners on base in the top of the 3rd inning. Terry left a pitch over the middle of the plate and Scupin didn’t waste a bit of it, turning it right back around and depositing the bright yellow ball some 230 or so feet away beyond the centerfield fence. The Wildcats would tack on another run via a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

It looked like the Wildcats had it in the bag but then the fifth inning happened. Two RBI singles and a home run later, and just like that UCLA took the lead back, going up 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth. Arizona would end up getting one run back in the sixth inning with a solo shot. But it was not enough to complete the comeback and UCLA advanced, 6-5.

2024 Pac-12 Softball Tournament bracket, schedule

All times are PT

Wednesday, May 8

Game 1: Arizona State 3, Oregon State 1

Thursday, May 9

Game 2: Utah 7, Oregon 4
Game 3: Stanford 4, Cal 2
Game 4: UCLA 9, Arizona State 0
Game 5: Arizona 11, Washington 3 (6 innings)

Friday, May 10

Game 6: Utah 2, Stanford 1
Game 7: UCLA 6, Arizona 5

Saturday, May 11

Championship game: No. 6 seed Utah vs. No. 1 seed UCLA — 7:30 p.m., ESPN2