Editor’s note: For more than three decades, the UA has been one of college softball’s best teams, making 23 Women’s College World Series appearances and winning eight national championships. The Star is re-living each of the WCWS trips.
2009: Tide rolls over Wildcats, who are sent home in two games
What went down: For the second time in as many years, the Arizona Wildcats were sent back to Tucson after losing back-to-back games at the Women’s College World Series.
It was an odd year for the Wildcats, who never developed a pitching ace. Sarah Akamine, Lindsey Sisk and Jen Martinez shared the duties in the circle.
Offense was the key to Arizona’s success during the regular season, but the hits stopped coming in the WCWS. The Wildcats led the NCAA with 7.92 runs per game, yet failed to score in Oklahoma City. Florida beat Arizona 3-0 in the Wildcats’ WCWS opener; Alabama then sent the UA home with a 14-0 blowout.
Slugger Stacie Chambers, who led the NCAA with 31 home runs, had no hits in the tournament.
The loss to Alabama, which marked the most runs ever scored in a WCWS game and the worst loss in UA history, was particularly ugly.
Alabama scored 10 runs in the second inning. The first two innings lasted 59 minutes and Alabama sent 19 players to the plate.
The Florida team runs toward home as Arizona catcher Stacie Chambers walks towards the pitcher after a home run in the first inning of the Women’s College World Series game between Arizona and Florida at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 28, 2009. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
From the archives: The Star’s Patrick Finley wrote that Arizona’s pitching had no answer for Alabama’s bats. He wrote:
On the heels of her five shutout innings in Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Florida, junior Sarah Akamine allowed Alabama’s Brittany Rogers to lead off the game with a single. She stole second and scored on a one-out Kelley Montalvo single. Montalvo scored on a double by Charlotte Morgan, the surprise starting pitcher.
“We weren’t fooling them,” Candrea said.
The second inning turned ridiculous.
Whitney Larsen singled to start the inning and scored on a double by Kellie Eubanks, who was hitting only .215 entering the game. That was enough for Candrea to replace Akamine after only eight batters with senior reliever Jen Martinez.
“I didn’t come out fired up like I should have been,” Akamine said. “I let down my team.”
Martinez did no better than Akamine. The senior bobbled a bunt from the first batter she faced, Jennifer Fenton, who reached first. She gave up two RBI singles and an RBI double and was replaced after only four batters without getting an out.
He said it: “Truthfully it’s not life-threatening. I think, like I told the kids, whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I think sometimes we make this game almost like it’s life-threatening. Especially when you get here, everyone wants to do well. The sport’s grown so much — it’s tremendous that we have the coverage we do — but sometimes it can be difficult on young people to kind of deal with situations like this.” – Candrea
After OKC: Chambers finished the 2009 season with 31 home runs and 96 RBIs. She claimed Pac-10 player of the week honors twice, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week award and was a finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year.
Chambers fared better in the following year’s WCWS, hitting four homers — three coming in the championship series against UCLA.
She finished her Arizona career with 87 home runs, which ranks second behind Katiyana Mauga (92) in the school’s record books.
The big number: 23. Arizona was outscored 23-1 in its trips to the 2008 and 2009 WCWS.
