Editor’s note: This story appears in Sunday’s special section honoring retiring UA softball coach Mike Candrea.
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the first time in five years, Arizona is on top of the softball world.
Alicia Hollowell escaped jam after jam Tuesday, for once being more daring than dominant, and led the Wildcats to a 5-0 victory against Northwestern at ASA Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium to clinch the Women’s College World Series title.
The national championship marks the Wildcats’ seventh, all coming since 1991. Only UCLA’s 10 NCAA titles outrank the Wildcats.
But this crown meant a little more to coach Mike Candrea. Two months ago, the Wildcats were mired in a stretch in which they lost five of eight games. Six weeks ago, Candrea convinced his players to change their entire approach — mental and physical — if they wanted to return to the arena the UA usually dominates.
He talked to them about preparation, action and response — or “par” — taken from a book about zen golf. He wrote it out on the back of a lineup card, which he taped to the dugout for every game.
Since that talk, the Wildcats won 20 of 22 games. Both losses were followed by a rematch that same day, which the Wildcats won.
“A month and a half ago, we had oil spraying all over the place, nuts and bolts falling off,” Candrea said.
But he still saw potential.
“I didn’t know that we could win (the WCWS), but I felt that we could if we changed things.”
The new approach was on display Tuesday night.
The Wildcats scored first — as they have in every WCWS victory. Caitlin Lowe and Autumn Champion started the first inning with singles and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Kristie Fox.
Callista Balko grounded to second to score Lowe.
Ordinarily, that is all the support Hollowell — the WCWS Most Outstanding Player — needs. But after pitching six games in six days, the UA pitcher lived dangerously in Tuesday’s third inning.
Hollowell, who had given up three hits in the previous two games combined, allowed three consecutive singles in the third inning to load the bases with none out.
With a 1-0 count to Garland Cooper, Hollowell was called for delay of game, adding another ball to the count.
That seemed to fire up the senior, who struck out Cooper.
“Something like that will just tick her off,” said Balko, the catcher. Hollowell then coaxed a weak popup to third for the second out. Kristen Amegin worked the count full before barely getting under the pitch with a monster swing, lofting the ball harmlessly to Champion in left field.
Northwestern stranded five runners in the second and third combined.
The UA seemed to ice the game with two runs in the fifth. With one out, Lowe chopped a ground ball to second base. The second baseman, Ashley Crane, blooped a throw over the first baseman’s head, and Lowe advanced to second. Champion singled her home and scored on a Balko double.
Arizona tacked on two more runs in the sixth.
“The best part about this whole thing is, we had a great team, and everyone contributed,” shortstop Fox said.
It was one team, deciding to make a change together.
“This team hit a low low,” Hollowell said. “We knew we needed to turn it around, and it was gonna take everybody changing to do that. We did.”
