After dropping the first game of a best-of-three series against
Georgia in its NCAA Super Regional, the UCLA softball team was once
again put on the brink of postseason elimination.
And when the Bruins fell behind four runs early in Game 2, it
appeared that they would not get the chance to defend their
back-to-back national championships at the Women’s College
World Series.
But with their backs against the wall and playing with no margin
for error, the Bruins did what they have already done countless
times this season: They played their best.
After UCLA staved off elimination in Game 2, coming back from a
four-run deficit to score a 5-4 victory over the Bulldogs, the
Bruins promptly sent Georgia home for the season by winning a 3-2
nail-biter in Game 3 at Easton Stadium on Saturday night.
“This team is comfortable being uncomfortable,” UCLA
softball coach Sue Enquist said.
By virtue of the gutsy comeback performance, UCLA earned a spot
in the WCWS, which begins Thursday in Oklahoma City.
The seventh-seeded Bruins (36-18), who will face second-seeded
California (52-13) in their opening game, will be aiming for their
third consecutive NCAA championship.
“I’m extremely proud of this team,” Enquist
said. “Their stamina emotionally was so important after the
rough start. They were able to regain their composure and execute
on their game plan. I couldn’t be more proud.”
UCLA’s marathon of a Saturday night, in which the final
out of Game 3 wasn’t recorded until 11:18 p.m., marked the
second consecutive week in which the Bruins had to win two games
against the same opponent on the same day to extend its postseason
and advance to the next round. For the second consecutive week,
UCLA was the last team in the country to punch its ticket, this
time to the WCWS.
Like they have multiple times this season, the Bruins found
themselves in the precarious situation of possibly watching their
season end at home, falling behind by four runs after the second
inning of Game 2 to the No. 10 Bulldogs (55-15). Three defensive
miscues, including a two-out error by Bruin left fielder Ashley
Herrera, opened the flood gates.
UCLA, however, found the safety valve and didn’t
panic.
“I have confidence in my team,” freshman pitcher
Anjelica Selden said. “I always feel like we can pull through
in any situation. I never had any doubts.”
UCLA responded immediately in the third inning with three runs,
highlighted by Andrea Duran’s solo home run. And in the sixth
inning, an aggressive base-running play by pinch runner Danesha
Adams led to the tying run after Georgia shortstop Katie Vickers
made a wide throw to third base. Two batters later, freshman pinch
hitter Danielle Peterson got only the second hit of her career when
she drilled a double to left-center field, giving the Bruins the
lead.
It was a marked contrast from Friday’s Game 1, in which
Georgia ace Michelle Green made UCLA’s hitters look foolish,
working the outside part of the plate and allowing only three
hits.
But on Saturday, the Bruins made the necessary adjustments,
knocking Green out of the game in the third inning of Game 2 and
the first inning of Game 3, when the Bruins scored three runs after
four consecutive singles.
“It’s a real testament to this team, asking these
hitters to get out of their comfort zone,” Enquist said.
“This team thrived. That’s what we need to do to
win.”
And while Selden wasn’t at her best in the circle, she,
like the rest of the Bruins, kept battling. After a rough outing
Friday where she allowed four runs in the late innings,
Selden’s troubles followed her to the weekend, allowing early
runs in Games 2 and 3. But she settled down, getting out of
potential-run scoring situations unscathed.
The resilience UCLA showed at the NCAA Super Regionals against
Georgia helped it advance to the WCWS to defend its back-to-back
titles, despite the fact it lost the second most games in UCLA
history.
But none of that matters now.
Even in a year in which UCLA has won all five games in which it
could have been eliminated to keep its postseason and national
title hopes alive, the path the Bruins have taken has ultimately
led to the same destination.
“It’s fun to do it with a new team,” said
Duran, who has been in the World Series in each of her three years
at UCLA. “Each team has a new story to tell and new struggles
to overcome. I’m excited about how ours will do.”