Bruins win 10th crown
OKLAHOMA CITY – Kristen Dedmon hadn’t had an at-bat in more than two weeks. She hadn’t driven in a run in a month. The 19-year-old freshman didn’t know exactly what she was getting into before delivering the biggest hit of UCLA’s season.
Dedmon drove in the go-ahead runs with a pinch-hit, two-run single with two outs in the fifth inning Monday and the Bruins went on to beat California 3-1 for their second straight NCAA softball championship.
The Bruins (47-9) won their 10th NCAA championship and became the first team to win back-to-back championships since Arizona in 1996-97.
Dedmon said she had been swinging her bat near the outfield to get ready in case coach Sue Enquist called on her in the fifth. When it came time, she threw off her visor, put on a helmet and stepped to the plate, not entirely aware of the pressure.
“I didn’t know there were two outs,” Dedmon said, with a smile and a laugh.
Claire Sua, who hit a towering homer to tie the game earlier in the inning, said Dedmon’s lack of awareness was for the best.
“She honestly didn’t have time to think, ‘Oh, no, this is pressure; oh, no this is a close game,’ ” Sua said. “She didn’t really have time to doubt. As a hitter, you want to have a clear head. You don’t want to think about anything.
“I’m actually happy she didn’t. If she had, it might not have turned out the way that it did. It kind of worked in her favor.”
Keira Goerl (31-7), who pitched a nine-inning no-hitter as UCLA beat California 1-0 in last year’s title game, wasn’t nearly as dominant this year. She allowed seven hits in becoming only the third pitcher to win back-to-back championship games. Arizona’s Susie Parra in 1993-1994 and UCLA’s Debbie Doom in 1984-85 also accomplished the feat.
“To go out like this is awesome,” said Goerl, who was fighting off tears. “I can’t believe this is the last day that I’ll put on this uniform.”
Making its third straight appearance in the title game, California (53-13) was up 1-0 and pitcher Kelly Anderson (25-9) was perfect through four innings.
Leading off the fifth, Sua hit Anderson’s first pitch over the left-center field wall to tie the game 1-1.
“At that moment, I really thought that we needed to get something going whether it was that or a base hit or a bobble – anything to get our team up and our offense going,” Sua said.