Softball gets revenge, NCAA title

OKLAHOMA CITY “”mdash; After sustaining its only loss of the
College World Series against Cal, the UCLA softball team got its
revenge in the timeliest of fashions.

Junior Keira Goerl tossed nine zero-hit innings to lead the
Bruins to a 1-0 win over the Golden Bears in the NCAA Championship
game Monday. It was softball’s first championship since 1999
and the program’s ninth NCAA title all-time.

“This was a team effort, and I am so proud of my
team,” said UCLA coach Sue Enquist, who has been a part of
every softball championship as either a player or a coach. “I
am so excited for the senior class. They are the most unselfish
group of Bruins I have ever coached.”

UCLA’s bats were silent until the ninth inning when
Stephanie Ramos led off with a double. Freshman Emily Zaplatosch
bunted her over to third, setting the stage for senior designated
player Toria Auelua, who smacked a single off the glove of Cal
third baseman Vicky Galindo. The ball caromed into center field,
scoring Ramos in what turned out to be the winning run.

“I just wanted to put the ball in play and help my
team,” Auelua said. “I was looking for the outside
pitch, and I planned to put it on the right side, but it
didn’t go that way. I’ll take it anyway.”

Cal went down in order in the bottom of the inning, and the
celebration was on.

Goerl was nearly flawless throughout the game, allowing only
four walks ““ three of them intentional. However Cal’s
Kelly Anderson matched her scoreless inning for scoreless inning
until the ninth where a mistake to Ramos cost her dearly.

“It was a little too much on the plate because she had
been taking the first pitch,” Anderson said about the pitch
Ramos hit. “I had a feeling she would take that time, but I
didn’t get it far enough outside or low enough.”

Cal (49-20) had the heart of its lineup coming up in the bottom
of the ninth; however, that heart was without its soul.

Golden Bear coach Diane Ninemire replaced slugger Veronica
Nelson with a pinch-runner for the second time after she had led
off the bottom of the seventh inning with her third intentional
walk. Consequently, it was light-hitting senior Mikella Pedretti
““ and not Nelson ““ who hit second for the Bears in the
inning.

“I have the utmost confidence in Mikella Pedretti,”
Nelson said. “I know that she can hit it out; she can get on
base; she can do whatever it takes for the team. In that situation
there is nothing you can do because you are already out of the
game. All you can do is cheer for your team and give them all your
support.”

Even reaching the championship game had to be a relief for the
Bruins (54-7). After dropping its opening game in Oklahoma City to
Cal 7-3, UCLA rebounded with wins in four straight elimination
games, including a heart-stopping semifinal victory over Texas on
Sunday 2-1.

Trailing the Longhorns and national Player of the Year Cat
Osterman 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, UCLA
refused to give up.

After Auelua was retired to start the inning, senior Monique
Mejia got the Bruins started with an infield single. Freshman
Andrea Duran bunted her over to second, setting the table for
All-American Natasha Watley to come up with the biggest hit of her
career.

After swinging through the first pitch from Osterman, Watley
lined her next, offering up the middle for a game-tying RBI single.
Watley moved to second on the throw home and scored the winning run
when freshman Caitlin Benyi singled her home.

For seniors Natasha Watley, Monique Mejia, Auelua and Tairia
Mims, this game was the culmination of four years of blood, sweat
and tears. After a disappointing fifth-place finish last year, this
class avoided being the only group of graduating seniors not to win
a national championship.

“This is the best feeling I have ever had,” Watley
said. “To end like this is just amazing, and after going from
the dumps last year, we never gave up.”