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2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

UCLA Softball Gets Past Northwestern At 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

UCLA Softball Gets Past Northwestern At 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

UCLA was able to capitalize on a small Northwestern mistake to defeat the Wildcats 1-0 at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California.

Feb 24, 2024 by Matt Cannizzaro
UCLA Softball Gets Past Northwestern At 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Through five and a half innings, the matchup between UCLA and Northwestern at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California, on Friday was a defense- and pitching-dominant standoff between two top-25 teams.

The Northwestern defense, in particular, shined from early on, even ending the first two innings at Big League Dreams Cathedral City’s Wrigley Field with masterful double plays, but a miscommunication on a popup in the sixth inning allowed UCLA to escape with a 1-0 victory.

All-American Maya Brady had opened the inning with a double to right center, only adding to her list of heroic feats Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, and she was able to score from second base on the mishandled ball off the bat of Megan Grant. 

The one run was all UCLA sophomore Taylor Tinsley needed to hold off the Wildcats.

Tinsley’s complete-game shut out tied her career high for innings pitched with seven, and she used a career-best nine strikeouts to get the job done. Along the way, she allowed three hits and walked two, while throwing 79 pitches. She improved to 2-3 on the season with the win.

The victory was the second win of the day for the Bruins, who rallied for five runs in their final inning against Nebraska to defeat the Huskers 9-8. 

Brady opened the game against Nebraska with a leadoff home run, and she delivered the base hit that brought Janelle Meoño home with the winning run. 

With the successful start to their time at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Bruins improve to 5-4 on the season. 

2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic


Outside of the game-defining play, Northwestern was strong in the loss, getting six innings of work from Ashley Miller, who was responsible for all four hits and the run. She walked three and struck out six, and she’s now 1-1 on the year.

The Wildcats collected three hits against UCLA but did strand six runners along the way. 

Northwestern falls to 5-3 in 2024, as Friday’s game against UCLA was the Wildcats’ debut at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 

And what a way to start – by facing one of the most storied college softball programs in one of the most prestigious events in an iconic venue – sort of.

The first two things above are 100% true. The latter, however, needs an explanation.

The Wildcats faced the Bruins at the famed Wrigley Field, but it wasn’t exactly be a home game for Northwestern, which is located just a few miles from Wrigley’s home in downtown Chicago.

Instead, it was a Wrigley Field replica that’s part of BLD Cathedral City, the five-field host for the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic that’s just a couple hours from UCLA’s home in Los Angeles. So, did that just even things out for the home-field advantage?

The meeting was the 23rd in history between the Northwestern and UCLA, and the Bruins now hold an 18-5 advantage in the series. The last time they met was in the elimination bracket of the 2022 Women’s College World Series, where UCLA sent the Wildcats packing by a 6-1 margin. 

As two of the 30 teams that have converged on the Golden State to compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic from Feb. 22-25, there will be plenty of additional action for Northwestern and UCLA over the weekend.

The Wildcats will be back at it Saturday for an afternoon doubleheader against Loyola Marymount and San Diego. The Wildcats will finish out the event with a Sunday brunch meeting with Oregon State.

UCLA will play five games at this year’s Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic – Nebraska, Northwestern, Illinois (Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern), Baylor (Saturday at 8:30 p.m. EST) and Tennessee (Sunday at 5 p.m. EST).

The Bruins were ranked No. 19 in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, and Northwestern landed at No. 24, falling from No. 22 in the previous edition. 

Follow the action live, as FloSoftball provides news and notes from all of the games at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

UCLA Defeats Northwestern 1-0 At 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 

Box Score

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Taylor Tinsley, UCLA Complete Shutout Of Northwestern, Bruins Win 1-0

UCLA's Taylor Tinsley tied her career high for innings pitched (seven) and set a new mark for strikeouts (nine) to complete the Bruins' 1-0 win over Northwestern. 

Maya Brady, UCLA Take 1-0 Lead Over Northwestern

Maya Brady, who delivered the winning hit in UCLA's come-from-behind win over Nebraska earlier Friday, opens the sixth inning against Northwestern with a double to right center.

Megan Grant hits a pop up just into the outfield grass, but a miscommunication for Northwestern allows the ball to fall. Brady scores on the play. UCLA leading 1-0.

Northwestern Unable To Score In Sixth Inning Against UCLA

Northwestern's Angela Zedak gets hit by a pitch to reach base with one out. 

UCLA's Taylor Tinsley settles down and ends the inning with her seventh strikeout.

UCLA Strands Two After Fifth-Inning Threat Against Northwestern

Jordan Woolery starts UCLA's fifth inning with a walk. Lauren Hatch enters as the pinch runner. 

Thessa Malau'ulu adds an infield single, and some aggressive baserunning allows Hatch to advance to third. UCLA has runners on the corners with one out.

Northwestern's Ashley Miller ends the inning with a pair of strikeouts - No. 5 and No. 6 of the game - to end the threat. 

Score remains 0-0.

Northwestern Threatens In Top Of Fifth Inning Against UCLA, Falls Short

Sophomore Bridget Donahey connects for a one-out double. She advances to third on a groundout by Kelsey Nader. 

The inning ends with a strikeout, the sixth of the game for Taylor Tinsley.

Northwestern And UCLA Scoreless Through Four Innings At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

UCLA got a baserunner with a walk in the fourth inning, but she immediately was erased on a fielder's choice. 

The Bruins strand one. 

UCLA Shuts Down Northwestern In Top Of Fourth Inning

Taylor Tinsley picks up another two strikeouts and breezes through the Northwestern lineup in the top of the fourth inning.

Pitchers Dominating Through Three Innings In Northwestern-UCLA Matchup

The Northwestern-UCLA game at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is speeding along. The teams have combined for just three hits in the first three innings.

UCLA's Taylor Tinsley and Northwestern's Ashley Miller each have three strikeouts.

Aggressive Baserunning Gives Northwestern Opportunity UCLA

The Wildcats were aggressive on the bases in the third inning against UCLA, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but they weren't able to take advantage. 

The score remains 0-0.

Northwestern Defense Shines Again In Second Inning At Mary Nutter Classic

The Northwestern defense stepped up again in the bottom of the second inning, erasing another Bruins baserunner with a second inning-ending double play. 

UCLA Settling In Against Northwestern Softball

UCLA's Taylor Tinsley notched a pair of strikeouts to make quick work of Northwestern in the top of the second inning at Wrigley Field, part of Big League Dreams Cathedral City. 

Tinsley has three strikeouts through two innings.

Northwestern Softball Stellar Defensively In Bottom Of First Inning Against UCLA

Northwestern starter Ashley Miller faced the minimum number of UCLA batters in the opening inning, as the Wildcats were able to turn a double play to end the inning. 

Northwestern Strands Two In Opening Inning Against UCLA

Northwestern had an opportunity to get ahead of UCLA early, but the Wildcats couldn't capitalize. 

They strand runners on first and second. UCLA coming up in the bottom of the first.

Northwestern-UCLA Underway At 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

The Wildcats and Bruins are underway! Northwestern is the visiting team and up to bat now.

Sophomore Taylor Tinsley is in the circle for UCLA.

Northwestern Starting Lineup For UCLA Game

See who's starting for Northwestern against the UCLA Bruins:

When Is The Northwestern Vs. UCLA Softball Game?

Northwestern will take on UCLA at Wrigley Field, part of Big League Dreams Cathedral City in Cathedral City, California, on Friday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. Eastern.

How To Watch The Northwestern Vs. UCLA Softball Game

Watch the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on FloSoftball and the FloSports app.

FloSoftball is streaming several NCAA Division I college softball tournaments, including the 2024 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, THE Spring Games and the recent Candrea Classic.

UCLA Rallies For Win Over Nebraska To Open 2024 Mary Nutter Classic

The Bruins scored five runs in their final inning to slip past Nebraska:

Delayed Start For UCLA-Northwestern Softball

The Northwestern-UCLA game will be slightly delayed, as Nebraska and UCLA are still playing.

Northwestern Softball In 2024

See what the Northwestern Wildcats have been up to so far in 2024:

Maya Brady Goes Yard Against Nebraska At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Watch Maya Brady, niece of superstar quarterback Tom Brady, hit a leadoff home run for UCLA in the Bruins’ opening game against Nebraska:

This And That: UCLA Softball

  • This year is the 49th season of UCLA softball. The Bruins entered the year ranked No. 10 in the preseason NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, the team’s highest placement since 2014 (16th).
  • UCLA has won 12 NCAA national championships, plus one AIAW title. The Bruins have been to the NCAA Tournament 38 times, including 24 consecutive since 1999.
  • In 2023, UCLA was 52-7 overall, the program’s most wins since 2001 and the fourth-highest in team history. The season included a 25-game winning streak.

This And That: Northwestern Softball

  • This year is Northwestern’s 18th appearance at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Last season, the Wildcats were 2-2, including a win over Kentucky, a top-20 team at the time. One of the losses was a 2-1 loss to UCLA.
  • Heading into the Mary Nutter, Hannah Cady leads the Big Ten players and ranks 12th nationally with 14 RBIs on the season. Her .550 batting average (11 for 20) is tied with fellow teammate Angela Zedak for the second in the conference.
  • In 2023, Northwestern was 42-13 overall and 20-3 in conference play (Big Ten). The Wildcats won the Big Ten tournament for the first time since 2008, also becoming the first team since 2019 to win the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll

The latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll came out this week, and Oklahoma continues its stranglehold on the top spot.

The Sooners, who entered the 2024 on a 53-game winning streak, are 9-0 to start the new campaign.

UCLA remained at No. 19 in this poll, while Northwestern slipped from No. 22 to No. 24.

Click HERE to see the complete rankings. 

About Big League Dreams Cathedral City

The Big League Dreams Sports Parks are scattered throughout the United States and provide recreational and tournament players of all ages the chance to compete on world-class fields, often built as replicas of famous stadiums from the storied history of Major League Baseball.

Along with the nostalgic fields, the Big League Dreams venues include a restaurant and bar, batting cages, play area for children, stadium seating and space for other sports (hockey, soccer, sand volleyball), events and competitions. 

Big League Dreams Cathedral City was the first of the eight BLD properties to open, doing so in 1998. The park includes five fields. Among them, Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and New York’s Yankee Stadium.

2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Schedule

All times Eastern

Thursday, Feb. 22

Wrigley Field

  • Rutgers vs. Hawaii, 3 p.m.
  • Oregon vs. Central Florida, 5:30 p.m.
  • Oregon vs. Baylor, 8 p.m.
  • Notre Dame vs. Baylor 10:30 p.m.

Yankee Stadium

  • Bethune Cookman vs. BYU, 3 p.m.
  • Bethune Cookman vs. Oregon State, 5:30 p.m.
  • San Diego State vs. Missouri, 8 p.m.
  • Wisconsin vs. Missouri, 10:30 p.m.

Fenway Park

  • Oregon State vs. Wisconsin 2:30 p.m.
  • Notre Dame vs. Mississippi State, 5 p.m.
  • UC Riverside vs. Rutgers 7:30 p.m.
  • UC Riverside vs. BYU 10 p.m.

Des Moines Field

  • Mississippi State vs. Central Florida 2 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 23

Wrigley Field

  • San Diego State vs. Nebraska, 1 p.m.
  • UCLA vs. Nebraska, 3:30 p.m.
  • UCLA vs. Northwestern, 6 p.m.
  • Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m.
  • Oklahoma vs. Wisconsin, 11 p.m.

Yankee Stadium

  • Hawaii vs. Fresno State, 1:30 p.m.
  • Hawaii vs. California, 4 p.m.
  • Notre Dame vs. Oregon, 6:30 p.m.
  • Long Beach State vs. Oregon, 9 p.m.
  • Central Florida vs. Oregon State, 11:30 p.m.

Fenway Park

  • Rutgers vs. Loyola Marymount, 1 p.m.
  • Tennessee vs. Loyola Marymount, 3:30 p.m.
  • Tennessee vs. CSU Fullerton, 6 p.m.
  • Missouri vs. Central Florida, 8:30 p.m.
  • Missouri vs. CSU Fullerton, 11 p.m.

Des Moines Field

  • Seattle University vs. CSU Northridge, 1 p.m.
  • Utah vs. CSU Northridge, 3:30 p.m.
  • Bethune Cookman vs. San Diego State, 6 p.m.
  • University of San Diego vs. Wisconsin, 8:30 p.m.
  • University of San Diego vs. Utah, 11 p.m.

Pawtucket Field

  • Illinois vs. California, 1:30 p.m.
  • Cal Poly vs. Rutgers, 3 p.m.
  • Long Beach State vs. BYU, 6:30 p.m.
  • UC Riverside vs. Seattle, 9 p.m.
  • UC Riverside vs. Baylor, 11:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24

Wrigley Field

  • Oregon vs. Nebraska, 1 p.m.
  • Oklahoma vs. San Diego State, 3:30 p.m.
  • UCLA vs. Illinois, 6 p.m.
  • UCLA vs. Baylor, 8:30 p.m.
  • Missouri vs. Baylor, 11 p.m.

Yankee Stadium

  • Seattle vs. California, 12:30 p.m.
  • Oregon State vs. Notre Dame, 3 p.m.
  • Oregon State vs. Tennessee, 5:30 p.m.
  • Central Florida vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m.
  • Central Florida vs. University of San Diego, 10:30 p.m.

Fenway Park

  • Northwestern vs. Loyola Marymount, 10 a.m.
  • Northwestern vs. University of San Diego, 3:30 p.m.
  • Notre Dame vs. Utah, 6 p.m.
  • Wisconsin vs. Utah, 8:30 p.m.
  • Rutgers vs. BYU 11 p.m.

Des Moines Field

  • Cal vs. Illinois, 12:30 p.m.
  • CSU Fullerton vs. Utah, 3 p.m.
  • CSU Fullerton vs. Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m.
  • Cal Poly vs. BYU, 8 p.m.
  • Mississippi State vs. Fresno State, 10:30 p.m.

Pawtucket Field

  • CSU Northridge vs. Bethune Cookman, 12:30 p.m.
  • Wisconsin vs. Long Beach State, 3 p.m.
  • CSU Northridge vs. Rutgers, 2:30 p.m.
  • Loyola Marymount vs. Bethune Cookman 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25

Wrigley Field

  • Seattle vs. Oklahoma, noon
  • Loyola Marymount vs. Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m.
  • UCLA vs. Tennessee, 5 p.m.

Yankee Stadium

  • Nebraska vs. Utah, noon
  • Nebraska vs. CSU Fullerton, 2:30 p.m.
  • University of San Diego vs. UC Riverside, 5 p.m.

Fenway Park

  • Oregon State vs. Northwestern, noon
  • Tennessee vs. Hawaii, 2:30 p.m.
  • Fresno State vs. Cal Poly, 5 p.m.

Des Moines Field

  • Illinois vs. Hawaii, 11:30 a.m.
  • Fresno State vs. Long Beach State, 2:30 p.m.

Pawtucket Field

  • California vs. Long Beach State, noon
  • California vs. Cal Poly, 2:30 p.m.

Who Was Mary Nutter?

Mary Nutter was an All-American softball player and a pioneer in the sport. 

She was a coach at Pittsburgh State and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

Nutter died in 2012. 

Watch 2024 College Softball On FloSoftball

FloSoftball is your home to some of the top college softball tournaments in the country, as well as conference softball games from a varsity of conferences. Some of the tournaments streaming live on FloSoftball include: 

FloSoftball Archived Footage

Video footage from past seasons is archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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