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The Arizona Wildcats pounded UCLA pitching Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, cranking out three homers and scoring nine times. And it wasn’t nearly enough. The Bruins set a single-game scoring record and won 15-9 to claim the Women’s College World Series title.
UCLA took the best-of-three championship series and won its 11th NCCAA women’s softball title, its first since 2004. Arizona, which has claimed eight titles, finished second for the fifth time.
The scoring came early as well as often for UCLA in game that may well alter the course of college softball. The rule-makers were already considering banning composite bats, and Tuesday’s power display in the sport’s showcase event will provide more momentum for change.
Arizona star Kenzie Fowler, who threw close to 700 pitches in the tournament, lasted only a little more than an inning. She gave up a two-run Megan Langenfeld homer in the first, Langenfeld’s record-setting fourth of the WCWS.
More than half Fowler’s picthers were balls Tuesday night. She was lifted after she opened the second by plunking B.B. Bates. The Bruins broke it open in the second inning. Andrea Harrison hit a grand slam, the first ever in the championship round, to make it 6-0.
Lini Koria put Arizona on the scoreboard with her 17th homer of the season in the bottom of the second. UCLA added another in the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Arizona struck for three runs. McClintock graduate K’L Arredondo was hit by a pitch, Cactus graduate Stacie Chambers walked, and Sunrise Mountain graduate Brigette Del Ponte singled to load the bases. Koria was hit with a pitch to score Arredondo. Kristen Arriola singled to score Chambers and Del Ponte and make it 7-4.
That was as close as the Cats got the rest of the night. Julie Burney hit a three run homer as UCLA scored seven runs in the fifth.
Chambers hit two homers and former Horizon star Becca Tikey scored run as a pinch runner for Arizona as fought back. |
