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Television cameras zoomed in tight on Brooke Wells’ bloody mouth.
While backing up her catcher on a pop fly near home plate, the Alabama first baseman moved in a little too close. Marlie Giles drifted back to catch the ball and her left shoulder slammed directly into Wells’ face.
The game was stopped for a few minutes while the Alabama medical staff worked to stop the bleeding. With the team doctor on site, the cut on Wells’ bottom lip was stitched up between innings.
“Honestly, I think with all the adrenaline going through me, I didn't feel much,” Wells said with a laugh.
An unforgettable experience, but it’ll go down as the second-most memorable moment of the night for Wells.
Her three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning provided the winning runs for top-seeded Alabama in a 6-3 victory over No. 8 UCLA in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday night at Devon Park.
More: USA TODAY Sports Network 2026 All-American softball awards, coach and player of the year
“It helps to have the doctor in the dugout,” Alabama coach Partick Murphy joked when discussing Wells’ bloody lip.
Wells got her lip bloodied last week, too — metaphorically, anyway.
The Crimson Tide’s power-hitting first baseman went 0 for 8 in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional and Murphy wanted to make sure she was in the right head space for the WCWS.
So before the team’s first practice of the week, he left a card at Wells’ locker. Then he shared another message with her before she took the field.
“The sun came up, we're playing again, and everything is right in the world,” Murphy told her. “We're going to the World Series.”
Then he reminded her of a saying the team has been focused on throughout the season: The best is yet to come.
Murphy’s words, and some uplifting vibes from her teammates, helped Wells leave last week in the past ahead of her WCWS debut.
More: UCLA softball star Megan Grant kept 'smile on my face' by playing basketball
“It definitely helped me keep my shoulders up,” Wells said. “It's hard having such a rough weekend as I did last weekend.
“Never really felt it when I got there on Monday. Knowing that the coaches have my back, the girls have my back, it was easy to come into today and be like, it's a whole new start. It's the World Series. This is what you dream of as a little kid. It's just a whole new day. Kind of just enjoying that.”
Wells helped set up Alabama’s first run when she singled in the first inning to advance Jena Young, who later scored on Giles’ single.
After Alexis Pupillo tied the game in the fifth with a two-run homer, Wells came through the following inning with her 24th home run of the season.
“It was great to do it for these girls,” Wells said. “These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend. It wasn't the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me.
“I walked in here feeling as confident as ever.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Alabama's Brooke Wells put slump, bloody lip behind her in WCWS win
Continue reading...
While backing up her catcher on a pop fly near home plate, the Alabama first baseman moved in a little too close. Marlie Giles drifted back to catch the ball and her left shoulder slammed directly into Wells’ face.
The game was stopped for a few minutes while the Alabama medical staff worked to stop the bleeding. With the team doctor on site, the cut on Wells’ bottom lip was stitched up between innings.
“Honestly, I think with all the adrenaline going through me, I didn't feel much,” Wells said with a laugh.
An unforgettable experience, but it’ll go down as the second-most memorable moment of the night for Wells.
Her three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning provided the winning runs for top-seeded Alabama in a 6-3 victory over No. 8 UCLA in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday night at Devon Park.
More: USA TODAY Sports Network 2026 All-American softball awards, coach and player of the year
“It helps to have the doctor in the dugout,” Alabama coach Partick Murphy joked when discussing Wells’ bloody lip.
Wells got her lip bloodied last week, too — metaphorically, anyway.
The Crimson Tide’s power-hitting first baseman went 0 for 8 in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional and Murphy wanted to make sure she was in the right head space for the WCWS.
So before the team’s first practice of the week, he left a card at Wells’ locker. Then he shared another message with her before she took the field.
“The sun came up, we're playing again, and everything is right in the world,” Murphy told her. “We're going to the World Series.”
Then he reminded her of a saying the team has been focused on throughout the season: The best is yet to come.
Murphy’s words, and some uplifting vibes from her teammates, helped Wells leave last week in the past ahead of her WCWS debut.
More: UCLA softball star Megan Grant kept 'smile on my face' by playing basketball
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“It definitely helped me keep my shoulders up,” Wells said. “It's hard having such a rough weekend as I did last weekend.
“Never really felt it when I got there on Monday. Knowing that the coaches have my back, the girls have my back, it was easy to come into today and be like, it's a whole new start. It's the World Series. This is what you dream of as a little kid. It's just a whole new day. Kind of just enjoying that.”
Wells helped set up Alabama’s first run when she singled in the first inning to advance Jena Young, who later scored on Giles’ single.
After Alexis Pupillo tied the game in the fifth with a two-run homer, Wells came through the following inning with her 24th home run of the season.
“It was great to do it for these girls,” Wells said. “These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend. It wasn't the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me.
“I walked in here feeling as confident as ever.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Alabama's Brooke Wells put slump, bloody lip behind her in WCWS win
Continue reading...
