Sports
Maya Brady and UCLA defeat Georgia, move to cusp of Women's College World Series
The crack of the ball off Maya Brady’s bat in the first inning sent a swift, loud message.
“Storm’s a Bruin,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “We’re here.”
Brady, the back-to-back Pac-12 player of the year, went three for four at the plate with two home runs in UCLA’s six-inning, 8-0 win over No. 11 Georgia in the first game of the Los Angeles Super Regional on Thursday. The No. 6 Bruins (41-10) can clinch a berth to the World Series with a win Friday at 7 p.m. at Easton Stadium in the best-of-three Super Regional.
UCLA is trying to make its eighth World Series appearance in nine years. The only blemish was last year’s winless postseason when the Bruins shockingly failed to advance out of the regional for the first time since 2013. The flop was traumatic enough for Inouye-Perez to hire a mental performance coach. Armondo Gonzalez has counseled the team all season, putting players at ease by saying any outcome is “already written.”
“For us, it honestly lifts a weight off of us,” Brady said. “Yes, we obviously have a say in our performance, but at the end of the day, there’s an outcome that’s already written that no matter if we strike out or we go four for four, that was the outcome that was supposed to happen. I think for us, it just allows us to kind of let go and play free.”
Including UCLA’s three wins in the regional round last weekend, Brady is nine for 12 at the plate in four postseason games with six extra base hits and five RBIs. Her leadoff home run in the fifth inning sparked a four-run burst highlighted by a three-run homer from Jordan Woolery that transformed a tight two-run game into a run-rule watch. Junior Savannah Pola clinched UCLA’s first Super Regional mercy rule win since 2010 with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.
The Bruins, who won the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles, have won 12 consecutive games and 24 of their last 26. Brady raised her eyebrows in surprise when she heard the stats at the postgame news conference.
UCLA starting pitcher Kaitlyn Terry delivers during the Bruins’ 8-0 win Thursday over Georgia.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Along with her electric bat, the shortstop helped turn two double plays on defense to support freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Terry, who gave up four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six innings.
The left-hander allowed a baserunner in each of the first five innings — three walks and two singles — but effortlessly worked her way out of danger with the help of her defense.
Left fielder Jadelyn Allchin’s diving catch in the second inning set the tone for the defense. Woolery caught a ball in foul territory while sliding to her knee in the third inning after Terry gave up a leadoff single. The pitcher allowed a leadoff walk in the fourth, but Brady erased it flawlessly, taking a hard-hit ball from Georgia’s Sara Mosley off the bounce, tagging second and firing the ball to Woolery at first.
Terry gave up four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in a complete-game victory. She faced her biggest threat in the sixth with runners on the corners and two outs, but used a devastating off-speed pitch to freeze Georgia’s Lyndi Raw Davis. Terry stomped her foot and whipped her fist in the air and the Bulldogs catcher trudged back to the dugout.
UCLA shortstop Maya Brady reacts after completing a double play in front of Georgia’s Jayda Kearney in the fourth inning Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
UCLA players celebrate after defeating Georgia 8-0 in the NCAA Super Regionals on Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Bruins avenged a 7-2 loss to the Bulldogs (43-18) from Feb. 16. Gonzalez reminded the Bruins of the loss before the game, emphasizing that they were a different team than the one that struggled in tournament play. The loss, UCLA’s first to Georgia since 2012, dropped the Bruins to 3-4, their worst start since 1986.
“This team in ‘24 in the beginning was carrying the burden of figuring out who we were,” Inouye-Perez said.
The 18-year coach recalled a favorite quote: “She remembered who she was and the game changed.” The Bruins remembered that while they weren’t getting the outcomes early, they still had the ability to be the perennial championship contenders who lead the nation with 12 NCAA titles.
“We understand our sport so that has freed up the pressure of what we need to do or for UCLA,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re just playing ball, which I love … When they play freely, man, we see some serious Bruin magic.”
Sports
Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History
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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.
It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.
So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.
We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)
After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.
9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)
How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.
8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)
This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.
Sports
UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional
No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.
During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.
“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”
Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.
“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”
South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.
The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.
Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.
“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.
South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.
The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.
Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.
Sports
Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America
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Cristiano Argento has been tearing up opponents in the ring for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as he worked his way up the ladder to get a few shots at some gold.
But the path to get to one of the most prestigious pro wrestling companies in the U.S. was long and a path that not many wrestlers have taken.
Argento was born and raised in Osimo, Italy – a town of about 35,000 people located on the east side of the country closer to the Adriatic Sea. He told Fox News Digital he started training in a ring at a boxing gym before he got started on the independent scene in Italy. He wrestled in Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark before he came to the realization that, to become a professional wrestler, he needed to make his way to the United States.
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Cristiano Argento performs in the National Wrestling Alliance (Instagram)
He first worked his way to Canada to get trained by pro wrestling legend Lance Storm. He moved to Canada, leaving most of his friends and family behind and without a firm grasp on the English language.
“At the time, my English was horrible. I didn’t speak any English at all,” he said. “But I was with my friend, Stefano, he came with me and he translated everything for me. I probably missed 50% of the knowledge that Lance Storm was giving to us because I was unable to understand. I was only given a recap and everything I was able to see. I’m sure if I was doing it now with a proper knowledge of English, it would have been a different scenario.
“Eventually, I moved back to Italy after the training and I said, OK, now, I want to go to the U.S. So, I studied English more properly, and eventually I got my first work visa that was in Texas. I was in Houston for a short period of time. I trained with Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. I got on his show, which was my debut in the U.S. That was awesome. I eventually got a new work visa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently live since 2017. Since then, my wrestling career, thankfully, kept growing, growing, growing and growing until now wrestling for the NWA. One of the bigger promotions in the U.S.”
Argento said that his family thought he was “nuts” for chasing his pro wrestling dream.
He said they were more concerned about his well-being given that he was half-way around the world without anyone he knew by his side in case something went sideways.
“My family, friends, everybody was like why do you want to move to the opposite side of the world not knowing the language, not knowing anybody, by yourself, to try to become a professional wrestler? And I was like, well, we have one life, I love, and that’s what I’m gonna do,” he told Fox News Digital. “Eventually, my family was really supportive. But when I first said, ‘Hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.’ They looked at me like, ‘Are you nuts? Are you drunk or something? What are you talking about?’ And I said, no that’s what I want to do. And they knew I loved this sport because in Italy I was traveling around Europe, spending time in Canada training, so they started to understand slowly that’s what I want to do with my life. They were proud of me.
Cristiano Argento works out in the gym. (Instagram)
“They’re still proud of me. I think more like the fact that you’re gonna try that, that it’s hard than more like you’re gonna leave us. The fact like, oh, my son is gonna go on the opposite side of the world for a six-hour time difference and we’re gonna see him maybe, when, like, I don’t know. Not often. I think it was more that. And for me too, it was really hard. It was heartbreaking not being able to see my family every day or every month. Like once a year if I’m lucky. I think that was the biggest part for them because of concern or that I was here by myself and if I have any issue or any problem, I didn’t have nobody. So they were scared. Like, you get sick, if you have a problem, anything, and they’re not being able to be here next to me. But they were really supportive since day one.”
Argento is living out his dream in the U.S. He suggested that the moniker of the U.S. being the “land of opportunity” wasn’t far from what is preached in movies and literature – it was the real thing.
“I was inspired by people who came to the U.S. and made it big,” Argento told Fox News Digital. “The U.S. was always like the land of opportunity. That’s how they sell it to us and this is what it is. I feel like, in myself, that was true because anything I tried to do so far I was able to reach a lot more than if I wasn’t here. I’m not yet where I’d like to be but I see like there’s so many opportunities in this country. Not just in wrestling but like in any business to reach the goal. I’m really happy of the choices I did here.
National Wrestling Alliance star Cristiano Argento poses in Times Square in New York. (Instagram)
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“But my big inspirations were big-time actors who moved to the country, who didn’t know English, with no money, no support system. I had one dream, I have to go right there to make it happen and I’m gonna go and do it and I’m gonna make it happen. So those people were always the biggest inspiration even if it wasn’t in wrestling, just how they handled their passion, how they pursued their dream without being scared of anything, how far you are, how alone by yourself … You don’t know the language, you’re like, let’s go, let’s do it.”
Outside of the NWA, Argento has performed for the International Wrestling Cartel, Enjoy Wrestling and Exodus Pro Wrestling this year.
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