LOS ANGLES, Calif. - Rutgers softball took a 3-1 lead in the third and used a three-run seventh inning to tie the score at 6-6, but No. 16 and future Big Ten Conference member UCLA was able to walk it off for a 7-6 win over the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers, playing its second top-25 opponent of the season, dropped to 15-10 on the season. The Bruins, meanwhile, improved to 15-6 winning their seventh-straight contest.

No. 15 UCLA 7, Rutgers 6

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Kayla Bock posted a three-run home run in the third giving Rutgers a 3-1 edge on UCLA.
• Morgan Smith started the game in the circle and hurled 3.1 innings, striking out two and giving up five runs on five hits. At the plate, Smith tied the ballgame up at 6-6 with one out plating two runs on a single.
• Georgia Ingle saw 1.3 innings of work allowing three hits and no runs.
• Mattie Boyd fell to 8-5 in the year throwing the final 1.1 innings.

THE RUNDOWN

• The Bruins had the bases loaded for Jordan Woolery to hit into a fielder's choice to score PAC-12 Player of the Week Maya Brady for a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.
• The top of the second saw Kayla Bock deliver a three-run blast over the wall in right field. Payton Lincavage was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Leilani Chavez walked to have two Scarlet Knights aboard for Bock to smack a 2-2 pitch for her second home run of the season.
• UCLA tied the game up in the third. Sharlize Palacios ricocheted the ball off the left field wall for an RBI double and Woolery notched another RBI with a single to left knotting the score at 3-3.
• The Bruins retook the lead in the fourth. With two on base and one out, Brady and Palacios hit back-to-back RBI singles for the hosts to go up 5-3.
• Brady doubled to right to extend the Bruin lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth 
• Rutgers loaded the bases in the seventh resulting in three runs coming across and tying the ballgame. RU was all board for LA Matthews to single to left-center to score Maddie Lawson and a single up the middle by Morgan Smith brought home Kobie Hura and Kyleigh Sand to knot the score at 6-6.
• The bases were loaded for the Bruins in the bottom of the seventh for Jadelyn Allchin to produce a walk-off single into a right-center for the win.

UP NEXT

• Rutgers softball continues its West Coast spring break trip meeting up with Cal Baptist on Wednesday, March 13 at 9 p.m. (ET) before traveling to San Diego for a three-game series with Toreros.

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