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NCAA News Archive - 2003
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Battle between bears ends with Bruins on top
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The NCAA News
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The UCLA seniors were going to make school history one way or another May 26 in the championship game of the Women's College World Series.
The four Bruins, who were playing in the final game of their career, either would become the first class in UCLA history not to win a title or become the first team since Texas A&M in 1983 to lose its first game of the tournament and rally for the title.
And rally they did.
Riding junior pitcher Keira Goerl's no-hitter, the Bruins outlasted defending national champion California for a 1-0 victory after nine innings in the title game.
It won't just be the championship-game, ninth-inning win, though, that will be remembered most from the 2003 WCWS. It also will be remembered for UCLA losing to California in its opening game and battling back to win five straight to claim the title. After winning two potential elimination games on May 24, the Bruins had to beat Texas and the USA Softball Player of the Year, pitcher Cat Osterman, twice to advance to the championship game. After forcing the second game with Texas, UCLA came from behind to score twice in the bottom of the seventh to win, 2-1. Texas was one out from its first title-game appearance.
"I'm just thrilled," head coach Sue Enquist said after her team advanced to the championship game. "(This win) just says so much about this team and its ability to never give up. That has been what they have represented all year and everybody got to see what softball is truly all about. Just a great lesson that the game doesn't know who is supposed to win until that last out."
The title game was a pitchers' duel between Goerl, who pitched all 47 innings for the Bruins over the weekend, and Kellie Anderson, who allowed no more than one hit in an inning during the tournament until the bottom of the ninth of the final.
In the bottom of the seventh, California had a runner in scoring position thanks to a walk to senior Veronica Nelson, who finished her career with an NCAA-record 395 bases on balls. Goerl managed a strikeout and a groundout, though, to push the game to extra innings.
In the top of the ninth, UCLA's Stephanie Ramos opened with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Emily Zaplatosch. Senior Toria Auelua plated the game-winning run with a single that barely eluded California third baseman Vicky Galindo.
The Bears couldn't answer in the bottom of the ninth, giving UCLA its ninth NCAA title.
California advanced to the championship game by defeating Arizona twice May 27, including a 2-1 win in 12 innings that gave the Wildcats their first loss of the tournament. The Golden Bears played in four extra-inning games during the WCWS. It was the first time the championship had seen two "if-necessary" games since 1997.
Goerl was named the tournament's most outstanding player and was joined on the all-tournament team by UCLA's Tairia Mims and Natasha Watley. California's Anderson, Galindo, Chelsea Spencer and Veronica Nelson were honored along with Osterman and Tamara Poppe from Texas. Alicia Hollowell and Lovie Jung from Arizona and Jennifer Stump from Oklahoma rounded out the all-tournament team.
Game No. 1
| Alabama | 000 | 020 | 0 -- 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Arizona | 003 | 000 | x -- 3 | 6 | 0 |
Stephanie VanBrakle and Lacy Prejean; Alicia Hollowell and Mackenzie Vandergeest. W -- Hollowell. L -- VanBrakle.
Game No. 2
| Washington | 000 | 100 | 2 -- 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 001 | 000 | 0 -- 1 | 3 | 0 |
Tia Bollinger and Kristen Rivera; Kami Keiter and Heather Scaglione. W -- Bollinger. L -- Keiter.
Game No. 3
| La.-Lafayette | 200 | 000 | 0 -- 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Texas | 000 | 102 | x -- 3 | 3 | 1 |
Brooke Mitchell and Joy Webre; Cat Osterman and Marlo Hanks. W -- Osterman. L -- Mitchell.
Game No. 4
| California | 000 | 021 | 000 | 4 -- 7 | 8 | 2 |
| UCLA | 001 | 000 | 200 | 0 -- 3 | 5 | 6 |
Kelly Anderson, Kristina Thorson (9) and Courtney Scott; Keira Goerl and Emily Zaplatosch. W -- Thorson. L -- Goerl.
Game No. 5
| Arizona | 010 | 000 | 1 -- 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Washington | 000 | 100 | 0 -- 1 | 4 | 3 |
Alicia Hollowell and Mackenzie Vandergeest; Tia Bollinger, Ashley Boek (6) and Kristen Rivera. W -- Hollowell. L -- Boek.
Game No. 6
| Texas | 000 | 001 | 0 -- 1 | 3 | 0 |
| California | 000 | 000 | 0 -- 0 | 2 | 1 |
Cat Osterman and Marlo Hanks; Kelly Anderson, Kristina Thorson (6) and Courtney Scott. W -- Osterman. L -- Anderson.
Game No. 7
| Oklahoma | 002 | 100 | 003 -- 6 | 9 | 1 |
| Alabama | 000 | 021 | 000 -- 3 | 4 | 1 |
Kami Keiter and Heather Scaglione; Erin Wright, Stephanie VanBrakle (5) and Lacy Prejean. W -- Keiter. L -- VanBrakle.
Game No. 8
| UCLA | 101 | 003 | 0 -- 5 | 9 | 2 |
| La.-Lafayette | 000 | 100 | 0 -- 1 | 1 | 1 |
Keira Goerl and Emily Zaplatosch; Brooke Mitchell, Afton Thoms (6) and Joy Webre. W -- Goerl. L -- Mitchell.
Game No. 9
| California | 010 | 200 | 2 -- 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 100 | 100 | 0 -- 2 | 4 | 4 |
Kristina Thorson, Kelly Anderson (1) and Courtney Scott; Kami Keiter and Heather Scaglione. W -- Anderson. L -- Keiter.
Game No. 10
| Washington | 000 | 010 | 0 -- 1 | 4 | 0 |
| UCLA | 001 | 001 | x -- 2 | 4 | 0 |
Ashley Boek and Kristen Rivera; Keira Goerl and Emily Zaplatosch. W -- Goerl. L -- Boek.
Game No. 11
| Arizona | 000 | 100 | 000 | 000 -- 1 | 5 | 3 |
| California | 000 | 000 | 100 | 001 -- 2 | 8 | 2 |
Alicia Hollowell and Mackenzie Vandergeest; Kelly Anderson and Courtney Scott. W -- Anderson. L -- Hollowell.
Game No. 12
| UCLA | 000 | 100 | 2 -- 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Texas | 000 | 000 | 0 -- 0 | 2 | 0 |
Keira Goerl and Emily Zaplatosch; Cat Osterman, Amy Bradford (5), Lizi Sowers (7) and Marlo Hanks. W -- Goerl. L -- Osterman.
Game No. 13
| California | 010 | 020 | 1 -- 4 | 7 | 1 |
| Arizona | 010 | 000 | 0 -- 1 | 4 | 0 |
Kelly Anderson and Courtney Scott; Alicia Hollowell and Mackenzie Vandergeest. W -- Anderson. L -- Hollowell.
Game No. 14
| Texas | 100 | 000 | 0 -- 1 | 3 | 1 |
| UCLA | 000 | 000 | 2 -- 2 | 6 | 1 |
Cat Osterman and Marlo Hanks; Keira Goerl and Emily Zaplatosch. W -- Goerl. L -- Osterman.
Championship game
| UCLA | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | A |
| Natasha Watley, ss | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Caitlin Benyi, rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tairia Mims, 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Claire Sua, 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Stephanie Ramos, cf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Emily Zaplatosch, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Toria Auelua, dp | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Amanda Simpson, pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julie Hoshizaki, pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monique Mejia, 2b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Andrea Duran, lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Keira Goerl, p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 31 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 27 |
| California | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | A |
| Vicky Galindo, 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lindsay James, lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Courtney Scott, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Veronica Nelson, 1b | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| LeAnna Hoglen, pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Linzi Wescott, pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mikella Pedretti, 1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Haley Woods, dp | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kaleo Eldredge, cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chelsea Spencer, ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jessica Pamanian, 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Kristen Morley, rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kristen Bayless, rf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelly Anderson, p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 27 |
| UCLA | 000 | 000 | 001-1 | 6 | 1 |
| California | 000 | 000 | 000-0 | 0 | 0 |
E -- Goerl. LOB-UCLA 9, California 5. 2B -- Ramos. 3B -- Watley. SH -- Benyi, Zaplatosch, Woods.
| UCLA | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | AB | BF |
| Goerl (W) | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 31 |
| California | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | AB | BF |
| Anderson (L) | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 37 |
U -- Sally Walker, Kevin Davis, Lori Bish. T -- 2:36. Attendance -- 5,437.
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