US softball remains top seed despite loss

Sunday, July 28, 1996

From the beach to track and field, Bruins win medals

By Brent Boyd

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

Perhaps the greatest game in Bruin softball history occurred
Friday. But, there were no blue and gold jerseys, no eight-claps in
the stands and it doesn’t even count in the standings.

Instead the Bruins were dressed in the colors of their countries
­ competing for both the United States and Australia ­
with the Olympic rings ever present.

Lisa Fernandez, who compiled a 93-7 record during her four-year
tenure at UCLA, took the mound for the United States. Having
Fernandez on the hill should have guaranteed a U.S. victory,
extending their international record to 116-1. After all, in her
last 79 innings of work, she had given up two hits.

In her first 9-2/3 innings against Australia, she was true to
form, not allowing a single base runner. After the United States
took a 1-0 lead in the tenth on UCLA alumna Sheila Cornell’s
single, Fernandez was trying to finish the game. With two outs and
a 1-2 count against Australian Joanne Brown, the former Bruin
teammate of Fernandez, the outcome seemed all but clinched.

That’s when Fernandez made a mistake.

With a runner automatically placed on second due to the
international tiebreak rule, Brown hit a two-run shot over the
center field fence to give Australia a 2-1 victory.

"Pitching 101 will tell you that you shouldn’t come with
something over the plate when you are that far ahead in the count,"
said Fernandez.

Adding to the irony for Fernandez is the fact the winning
pitcher was Tanya Harding, her successor on the mound at UCLA.

Harding, played for the Bruins the last 35 games of the 1994
season and helped the team to the NCAA championship. She had been
described as a hired gun after she returned to her native Australia
only days after UCLA had won the title.

However, the game should never have gone extra innings. In the
fifth inning, American Dani Tyler hit a solo home run to give the
U.S. an apparent 1-0 lead. However, she neglected to step on home
plate and the run was taken off the board, allowing the game to
extend to extra innings.

However, the loss did nothing to hurt the chances of an American
gold medal. The team beat China on Saturday, thanks to Cornell’s
game-winning, two-run homer. This clinched the No. 1 seed for USA
in the medal round, and a rematch against Australia in the
semi-finals.

"This game was good softball, and that was what this is all
about," said USA shortstop and UCLA alumna Dot Richardson.

* * *

UCLA junior third baseman Troy Glaus hit home runs in the last
two games for the United States. His first, on Friday, was one of
four consecutive Americans to hit round trippers in the first
inning of the United States’ 15-5 victory over Japan.

Two days later, Glaus hit a 481-foot shot against Australia,
helping lead the U.S. to another 15-5 victory.

Bruin pitching ace Jim Parque made one appearance in the
Olympics. Throwing one inning against Japan, he gave up one hit and
no runs.

* * *

Several former Bruins found themselves on the medal stand at
Olympic Stadium during the Track and Field competition which began
on Friday.

Gail Devers won the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of
10.94.

In a race plagued by a controversial disqualification of British
sprinter Linford Christie, Ato Boldon took the bronze in the men’s
100-meter. Boldon had an early lead, but could not contain Canada’s
Donovan Bailey, who broke the world record with a time of 9.84.
UCLA alum Mike Marsh finished in fourth.

John Godina’s 68-foot, 2 1/2-inch throw was not enough for the
UCLA alumnus to win the shot put competition. He settled for the
silver behind fellow American Randy Barnes. Godina will get a
chance at redemption on Wednesday, when he competes in the discus
competition.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee withdrew from the heptathlon competition
because of an injured hamstring. After the first event of the
competition, the 100-meter hurdles, Joyner-Kersee gave up any hope
she had of winning her third consecutive Olympic heptathlon. She
may compete in the long jump Thursday.

* * *

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes won the gold medal match in beach
volleyball Sunday. They beat fellow Americans Mike Dodd and Mike
Whitmarsh 12-8, 12-5 to win the first ever beach volleyball
tournament in Olympic history.

Daily Bruin wire services contributed to this report.

SCOTT QUINTARD

Tanya Harding, seen pitching for UCLA, plays for Australia.