The clutch gene may not be a quantifiable thing, but the Brady family seems to have whatever "it" is.
Tom Brady's niece Maya put together an incredible game for UCLA against Oklahoma -- the best team in the country -- Monday to keep the Bruins alive in the Women's College World Series.
Maya had a pair of home runs in what ended up being a 7-3 win for UCLA, forcing an elimination game immediately afterward for a berth in the WCWS final series.
The four-run difference was the most Oklahoma (56-3) has trailed by at any point this season, and it wasn't just Brady's bat that caught fire. Every run in this game came off a home run, including an earlier three-run bomb by Brady that made it 5-1.
MORE: Women's College World Series bracket, TV schedule, scores
Tom Brady took notice of his niece's performance, and expressed his pride.
Must run in the family (Sorry mom!). Winner takes all in 20 minutes. LET’S GO! @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/RYcI8DQuFM
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 6, 2022
This is hardly a breakout performance for Maya. She was already one of softball's best in the country, and she entered the game hitting over .450 in the College World Series. The two home runs doubled her home run total for the postseason. She was the Freshman of the Year in 2020, and won first-team All-American honors in 2021.
Playing from the loser's side of the bracket, UCLA (51-9) has to win again in a do-or-die game on Monday against Oklahoma. The Sooners are 2-0 with 24 runs scored and no runs allowed in games after a loss this season. They'll have to put together a similar performance against the No. 5-seeded Bruins.
