It was the California Interscholastic Federation championship game, and senior shortstop Monica Harrison was forced to languish on the bench.
Among her many disappointed teammates was her younger sister Andrea, then a junior.
Andrea was so upset that she went up to bat for the first time, she swung at three pitches over her head ““ and missed all of them.
As a coach would do for any unsettled athlete, Monica, who was held out of action for undisclosed reasons, went over to Andrea to calm her down.
And it worked.
Andrea would go on to hit a home run that helped the team capture the title.
Andrea and Monica said that such an experience is a good example of how they are two different types of players equipped with different personalities, but when together, they create a great synergy.
“Everything about Monica is really quick, and everything about Andrea is very powerful and explosive,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said.
Monica, now a slick-fielding sophomore shortstop for the second-ranked Bruin softball team, plays directly in front of Andrea, who patrols left field.
Being around each other for so long, it is easy to see how well they complement each other.
“They communicate, they pick each other up and they hold each other accountable,” Inouye-Perez said. “Both of them are very different, but they know each other better than anyone and being together strengthens them.
“It was always our hope to get both of them in the blue and gold from a very, very young age.”
As an eighth-grader, Monica watched UCLA come back on its final out against the Texas Longhorns in the 2003 NCAA Women’s College World Series.
The image would leave a lasting impression.
The Bruins were down a run until All-American shortstop Natasha Watley came through and tied the game with a single and Caitlin Benyi drove in the winning run. That heart-wrenching victory would eventually propel the Bruins to a 1-0 victory over Cal in the NCAA Championship game.
“I’ve always wanted to come here, but the strongest instance was in 2003, when I really told myself “˜I’m going to go there,'” the elder Harrison said.
Little did she know that in just a matter of years, she would be Watley’s heir at shortstop.
“It’s a big deal to play for UCLA, to wear those four letters and to represent the school,” Andrea said. “Just seeing how much my sister loved being here, it persuaded me and I couldn’t imagine myself playing anywhere else without her.”
Starting Friday, the duo will play a integral role in trying to get the Bruins another ring. UCLA kicks off NCAA Regional action against Long Beach State at 3:30 p.m. at Easton Stadium, and the sisters figure to be important if the team hopes to get to Oklahoma City.
Since Andrea’s arrival, the sisters have gotten along ““ but their connection is deeper than that.
“They have a great deal of respect for each other, and Monica has eased Andrea every step of the way so she’s been successful academically, athletically and socially because of it,” Inouye-Perez said.
The two sisters, who differ in playing style, also come with dissimilar personalities. There’s a special dynamic that makes these kinds of relationships irreplaceable, and these differences have done nothing but fuse a strong defense for the Bruins.
“I like to think that I’m pretty funny, but if that correlates with being explosive, sure,” Andrea said.
Two weeks ago, Monica shocked Arizona State with a UCLA-record three home runs in a game, and Andrea could only provide one explanation of how it was possible:
“It was the McDonald’s she ate for breakfast,” she said.
While Monica is less outspoken off the field, on the field the difference in their personalities is quite unnoticeable, and the vocal presence of both has been a factor in the Bruins’ success.
“On the field, you have to open yourself up and communicate and be loud,” Monica said.
And even while she described herself as “reserved and quiet,” Monica has eased Andrea into becoming a more vocal leader.
“Andrea was a little tentative at first when calling the ball on or off ““ she wasn’t your typical outfielder,” Inouye-Perez said. “But with Monica at short, you can see now that they’ve formed a wonderful line of communication.”
Though Andrea played right field in high school, the learning process during the position switch was quick, and the two sisters quickly managed to bridge the two related positions.
“I love having her on the field, especially playing behind her in left field, it has created an (on-field) relationship,” Andrea said. “Playing left field and her being at short, I know which ball she can get to and she pushes me to get to more fly balls that I never thought I could get to.”
Miscommunication between the outfield and the infield can result in bloop hits and errors, but that’s not a concern for Inouye-Perez, who has firm trust in the two to make smart defensive plays.
“To see that solid communication, I now have a great sense of comfort when the two of them communicate,” Inouye-Perez said. “I know they will do everything they can to make sure that a ball doesn’t drop between the two of them because they have that connection.”
“The trust is there and that trust has been a big part of why they’ve been successful.”
Teammates on the field and sisters off of it, the two have found their own unique niche on the UCLA Bruin softball team.
It’s apparent that their differences have only created a solid link between the outfield and the infield, a link that just might prove to be critical in yet another Bruin postseason run.