Congratulations to Oregon State’s softball team for making it to the College World Series. Way to give California some false hope with a win before gunning them down with 14 scoreless innings.
I came to realize last weekend why softball uses metal bats: it’s so pitchers like Brianne McGowan don’t explode bats with their lasers while the batter is swinging. I think the Cal equipment staff might want to take a look at the structural integrity of their bats after McGowan sprayed her fat, yellow-green tinted bullets toward home plate.
Any California Golden Bear World Series talk was a misnomer. And there was no amount of voodoo, witch-craft, or tarot card reading from Ms. Cleo that could’ve saved this California team from its destiny. They had less of a chance to win than I do at scoring a date while simultaneously blowing up a bird with my fastball.
And by the way, Brittany Cahoon, I’m free this weekend.
After the first day of less than stellar play from the team, I wasn’t distressed. In fact, I was optimistic. I still think the Beavers were just toying with California. Some people started to think this team was losing steam and we were going to fall out of the sky faster than Oceanic Air Flight 815 and strand our players on an island of dismay and doubt.
I was ready for a victory and a World Series berth.
It wasn’t blatant arrogance or false hope that brought me to my level of utopia. It was trust.
This group of girls is the most level-headed team in the Pac-10 and probably the nation. They have proven time and time again that when the chips are down they don’t fill their heads with angst, doubt or nervousness about the games ahead. They just win.
Allow me to prove this statistically.
Earlier this season after getting off to a rough start and losing its opening day, the team came back the following day and won both games and eventually beat No. 9 Texas A&M. That was just the start. The girls started rolling like a snowball down the Alps and bowled over 26 different teams in a row on their way to a 28-game winning streak.
During the streak McGowan racked up 13 wins and Ta’Tyana McElroy had 12 wins. At times, winning doesn’t seem enough for this team. There were games when it looked like these girls wanted to make the other team cry.
Literally.
McGowan would take the circle not just looking for the win, but for the complete-game shut-out no-hitter.
When that streak came to an end April 1 against Arizona State, the team didn’t worry and hang their heads in defeat. They were hungry to get back after other teams and won eight of the next 12 games, including wins over No. 1 UCLA and No. 7 Cal.
These girls have the ability to get in a groove and plow their way through an opponent like Dallas Buck serving fastballs to the side of my head. The Beavers were 28-4 this season when playing on a double-header day. And they never lost two games in one day. There was no way they were going to ruin that streak in the post-season. The maturity level of the team is too high. Coach Kirk Walker has these girls far too hungry and anxious to win it all.
Defense wins championships, and in this case, super regional games. This past weekend, after losing on the first day, the team rallied. Sunday, the Beavers came out and held Cal to 14 scoreless innings behind McGowan. She was throwing her usual grapefruit-sized yellow-green lasers at batters, leaving them blinded and bewildered. She struck out 17 batters while allowing just eight hits in two games.
Don’t believe me? Ask California players Haley Woods, Julie Meyer and Gina Leomiti how well McGowan was pitching. The three batters struck out three times each in the final day. Nice way to end your season, swinging at an 80 mph beam of light.
The Beavers’ offense wasn’t asleep either. They faced the best pitcher in the Pac-10, Kristina Thorson. Cambria Miranda and Mia Longfellow got nasty and worked the plate going 3-for-7 and 4-for-7, respectively. Maggie DeWall added two clutch hits in the first game and Sherina Galvin added her own pair of hits in the second game. This was the epitome of a team playing together for a common goal: a World Series berth.
Now the team is off to Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. The Beavers will continue to dominate with great pitching, great hitting and a never-give-up team attitude.
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