Goerl pitches to Cal
By Bob Costa
May 26, 2003 9:00 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY “”mdash; For the first time all season,
UCLA’s Keira Goerl couldn’t put the rest of the Bruins
on her back.
After retiring Cal’s Haley Woods in the bottom of the
ninth to clinch the national title, Goerl’s teammates mobbed
her, hugged her, and jumped on her as she fell to the ground in a
joyous dog pile.
The junior pitcher turned in one of the most amazing
performances in collegiate softball history over the weekend at the
Women’s College World Series, throwing 47 nearly flawless
innings.
Her no-hitter in the championship game and 0.55 ERA earned her
the Most Outstanding Player award at the WCWS.
“We have an individual in the circle that thrives on
strapping this team on her back,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist
said. “It says something about her stamina, guts, talent and
confidence.”
What everybody will remember is her nine-inning no-hitter
championship game performance ““ the first no-hitter to be
ever thrown in the national title game.
Goerl mixed her pitches brilliantly in throwing a 123-pitch
masterpiece against the Bears. Her intensity carried her arm
through a harrowing weekend in which she threw nearly 700 pitches,
nearly all of them with the Bruins on the brink of elimination.
“Honestly, I believe Keira gets stronger as the games go
on,” senior designated player Toria Auelua said. “The
more innings she pitches, the better she gets. She just has to find
her groove.”
Goerl was typically humble about her accomplishment, deflecting
praise to her teammates.
“I think it is pretty amazing, but it wasn’t about
me,” Goerl said. “It was about the defense behind me
that picked me up a number of times.”
Goerl had great control all day, allowing only four walks, three
of them intentionally, to Cal first baseman Veronica Nelson and
letting her defense make up for their many mistakes in
Thursday’s 7-3 loss to Cal.
Goerl finished the season with a 40-7 record, shattering UCLA
single-season records in appearances, innings pitched, and wins.
Her win on Sunday night against the Texas Longhorns gave her 98
career wins, an UCLA all-time high. “She is amazing. I really
truly believe she was playing for us and not for herself,”
senior shortstop Natasha Watley said. “I wouldn’t want
anyone else in the circle but her.”
