OKLAHOMA CITY “”mdash; Sue Enquist had a feeling. And
that’s really all that mattered.
The lack of experience didn’t matter. The magnitude of the
situation didn’t matter.
The UCLA coach felt that freshman Kristen Dedmon could come
through in the clutch for the Bruins, and, well, she did just
that.
With two outs in the fifth inning and the Bruins making their
only rally of the Women’s College World Series, Enquist
turned to Dedmon to pinch hit.
It was Dedmon’s first at-bat of the playoffs, but she came
through with the biggest hit of her career, a single up the middle
to give UCLA a 3-1 lead over Cal, which became a 3-1 win, and
back-to-back titles.
“I had been waiting for it the whole weekend,”
Dedmon said. “I knew that if I went out there and swung the
bat like I knew how, just nice and easy … I knew that good things
would happen.”
Good things indeed. With the victory, the Bruins have 10 NCAA
titles in softball, more than any other school in Division I.
Senior Keira Goerl became only the third pitcher in NCAA history to
win back-to-back title games.
“I don’t know how many people can say they’ve
done it,” Goerl said. “But this is something truly
special.”
But for most of the game it looked like the Bruins’ repeat
bid was in trouble. Cal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first
inning on a double by second baseman Jessica Pamanean.
Golden Bears pitcher Kelly Anderson made the lead stand up by
throwing four perfect innings.
Then she met UCLA senior first baseman Claire Sua, who crushed
the first pitch of the fifth inning over the outfield wall to tie
the game at 1-1.
“I said, “˜What do I have to lose out here?
It’s my last game, you know,'” Sua said.
“”˜I’m just going to go out and I’m going to
go for it. If I take a big whiff then oh well, that
stunk.'”
Senior Stephanie Ramos got hit by a pitch and freshman shortstop
Jodie Legaspi walked, prompting Cal to bring in pitcher Kristen
Thorson.
Sophomore catcher Emily Zaplatosch sacrificed to move the
runners over, and designated player Michelle Turner struck out.
Then Enquist had that feeling that Dedmon could perform in the
clutch. And she came through, scoring pinch runners Amanda Simpson
and Tara Henry on the single.
Though a freshman, Dedmon had a certain calm that inspired
confidence.
Part of the reason she was so collected was she did not fully
grasp the magnitude of her at bat.
“I didn’t even know there were two outs,”
Dedmon said. “I had just come from swinging my bat out in the
outfield.”
The one breakthrough inning was all senior pitcher Keira Goerl
would need to beat Cal in the championship game for the second time
in a row.
She did not have the overpowering presence of last year, when
she was named most outstanding player, but she was able to work out
of jams and strand runners all night long.
“Keira did what she had to today to keep us in the
ballgame,” Enquist said.
Goerl’s clutch pitching was the difference in the
championship once again for UCLA. The Bruins only got runners on in
the third inning, but three of the four hitters who reached base
scored.
Meanwhile, Cal got hits in every inning but the fourth, yet they
could only push one runner past home plate.
“When you get seven hits and only score one run and the
other team gets two and scores three, I guess it wasn’t your
turn to win,” Cal catcher Haley Woods said.
This was typical of Goerl’s weekend. While she did not
rack up the strikeouts, she was able to put zero after zero on the
board, allowing only four runs in 33 innings. Most importantly, she
got four wins.
While the future for UCLA looks bright, Monday’s
championship also marked the end of an era for the Bruins, as their
five seniors realized this would be their last game.
“Just UCLA has been such a big part,” Goerl said
before she started to cry. “To go out like this is awesome.
This is truly the last day that we’re going to be putting on
the uniform.”
For the senior class, it is the third time they have been to the
championship game and their second victory.
But perhaps more importantly, Monday’s win was their last
way to continue UCLA’s legacy of dominance on the field.
“We’re just very proud to go out wearing this
uniform,” Sua said. “I’m most happy that I went
out a winner with the five seniors that I did.”