The reigning national champions are back, and they are on
fire.
The Bruins sent a message to the rest of the country with their
7-0 win over Alabama in Sunday’s NCAA Regional
Championship.
“On championship day you have to go out there and take
it,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “You don’t let
up.”
Senior Keira Goerl dominated opposing batters all weekend,
throwing three shutouts as the Bruins (42-9) won all four of their
games.
UCLA advances to the Women’s College World Series ““
the Bruins will face Stanford on Thursday ““ and will probably
be favored to repeat as NCAA champions.
Like last year when Goerl was named WCWS Most Outstanding
Player, her spectacular pitching has carried the Bruins on their
championship run.
She was named the regional’s MOP after allowing only one
earned run while striking out 39 batters and throwing every pitch
for UCLA.
By winning the first game on Sunday, the Bruins avoided an
elimination game under the tournament’s double elimination
format.
“We wanted to come out and attack,” Goerl said.
“Early in the game we sent a message that we were here to
play and we only wanted to play one game.”
She overmatched Alabama’s potent offense, retiring
14-straight batters at one point.
Alabama starter Erin Wright lost control of the game fairly
quickly. With two outs, she hit UCLA catcher Emily Zaplatosch, then
walked designated player Ashley Herrera.
Left fielder Julie Hoshizaki hit a blooper down the left field
line. Angela Johnson dove for the ball, but it bounced off her
glove in fair territory for an RBI double.
Caitlin Benyi was intentionally walked to face Andrea Duran, who
made the Crimson Tide pay with a single to right, giving UCLA a 3-0
lead.
“Today they got the lead and that’s when Keira got
hot so yeah, I think that was the key to the game,” Alabama
coach Patrick Murphy said.
That would be enough for Goerl, but just to make sure, the
Bruins tacked on additional runs in each of the next four
innings.
Alabama’s hitters came out swinging, getting two on with
one out in the first before Goerl worked her way out of the
jam.
It was the best chance they would get on Sunday. Once again she
got stronger as the game went on, only allowing two hits the rest
of the game.
“That’s normal for me. I start out slow and as the
game goes along I get stronger,” Goerl said. “I just
focus more on the task at hand.”
The Crimson Tide had a much better chance of beating the Bruins
when the two teams met for the first time on Saturday. Alabama took
an early 2-0 lead on catcher Ashley Courtney’s two-out single
and an error.
But UCLA’s Claire Sua tied the game with a two-out single
in the fifth, and it went to extra innings.
In the bottom of the ninth, shortstop Jodie Legaspi pulled a
ball over the left field fence to win the game for UCLA, 5-2.
“I don’t think I could feel my feet touch the
ground,” Legaspi said. “Luckily I touched all the
bases.”
This was the closest any team came to defeating UCLA in the
regional. The Bruins won 2-0 over Louisville on Friday after an
8-0, mercy rule win over Mississippi Valley State on Thursday.