Kelly Inouye-Perez trotted out of UCLA’s dugout to an area a few paces behind home plate, the spot where, in two flashes, the Bruins had been dropped to within a loss of elimination in the Women’s College World Series.
UCLA’s coach stood, arms akimbo, as plate umpire Leah Bowen did most of the talking. After almost 40 seconds, Inouye-Perez peeled herself away.
There had been two split-second plays at the plate, and UCLA hadn’t prevailed in either of them. Those moments were key Thursday for Louisiana State, which seized a 2-1 victory over the Bruins at Oklahoma City.