The Pac-12 Softball Tournament Championship Game is set, with top-seeded UCLA ready to face No. 6 seed Utah on Saturday, May 11 at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium in Stanford, California. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. MT on ESPN2. 

Saturday’s contest is a rematch of the 2023 Pac-12 Softball Tournament Championship, in which Utah topped the Bruins, 7-4 for the inaugural title.

Semifinal Game 1 - Utah vs. Stanford

The Utes jumped on the board early, with Aliya Belarde starting the contest off with a walk. Haley Denning reached on a throwing error which moved Belarde to third, and Kaylah Nelsen followed with a RBI single to short for the 1-0 lead. Nelsen would add to the lead with another RBI single to left in the third, plating Belarde once again as Utah went up 2-0.

Sarah Ladd held the Stanford offense in check, allowing just two hits and two walks through the first four innings. Stanford's Regan Krause retired the side in the second and fourth, striking out three over those two innings. NiJaree Canady entered the circle in the fifth, sitting the Utes down in order in back-to-back innings.

Ladd retired the first Cardinal in the bottom of the seventh, and was replaced by Mariah Lopez following a walk to Jade Berry, and Canady reaching on an error. With two down, Allie Clements hit an infield single to load the bases, and Taryn Kern was hit by a pitch to make it a 2-1 ballgame and re-load the bases. Down to her last strike, Emily Jones hit a grounder to the shortstop, however the runner at second ran into Shonty Passi at short to end the game on interference, sending the Utes to their second straight Pac-12 Tournament Championship Game.

Ladd went 6.1 innings with a strikeout and no earned, while Lopez earned the save. Belarde went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk, and Nelsen had both RBI. Krause threw four innings with four strikeouts and one earned, and Canady tossed three with three strikeouts.

Semifinal Game Two - UCLA vs. Arizona

Kaitlyn Terry got the start for the second-straight day for UCLA, striking out the side in the second. Brooke Mannon pitched the first two innings for Arizona, striking out one before handing the ball to Aissa Silva in the third.

Arizona's Dakota Kennedy tracked down a ball in foul territory off the bat of Thessa Malau’ulu, and threw out Savannah Pola at the plate to end the second. The Wildcat momentum carried over to the top of the third as Kennedy worked a one-out walk, Regan Shockey singled to left-center, and Carlie Scupin plated them both with a three-run home run over the wall in right-centerfield for the 3-0 advantage. Allie Skaggs continued the rally with a single, and Olivia DiNardo moved her to third on a base hit up the middle. Blaise Biringer hit a sac fly to left to bring home Skaggs as the Wildcats carried a 4-0 lead to the bottom of the third.

Taylor Tinsley replaced Terry in the fourth, and the Bruins broke through offensively in the fifth as Pola started things off with a double to left-center, and Maluau’ulu moved her to third on a single, advancing to second herself on the throw. With two down, Maya Brady sent them both home on a sharp single to right, and advanced to second on a fielding error. Jadelyn Allchin singled to right, plating Brady to make it 4-3 and bring up Sharlize Palacios. The former Wildcat sent the third pitch she saw into the tree behind the right-centerfield wall to give UCLA its first lead of the night at 5-4.

The two-out rally continued as the Bruins walked, singled, and were hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Pinch-hitter Madison Pacini walked in a run for the 6-4 lead, and Mannon, who re-entered the contest, struck out Malau’ulu to end the fifth.

Arizona got one back to start the sixth as DiNardo sent the first pitch off the inning over the right-centerfield wall, cutting the deficit to 6-5. The Wildcats retired the Bruins in order behind three solid defensive plays in the bottom of the sixth. However Arizona couldn’t find the tying run in the seventh as the Bruins cruised to their seventh consecutive victory.

Tinsley picked up her 15th win of the season, pitching four innings while allowing just one earned. Palacios and Brady each knocked in a pair to lead the Bruins offensively.