Editorโs note: For more than three decades, the UA has been one of college softballโs best teams, making 23 Womenโs College World Series appearances and winning eight national championships. The Star is re-living each of the WCWS trips.
2005: Wildcats run into two all-time great pitchers, get eliminated after three games
What went down: Arizona faced two of the greatest softball pitchers of all time โ Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman โ and was sent packing early.
The last time the Wildcats got knocked out of the WCWS in three games was 1999. This would be the first senior class to leave Arizona without a championship ring since 1990.
The Wildcats just couldnโt hit Abbott and Osterman, who would end their careers as the top two strikeout leaders in NCAA history, each with more than 2,000 Ks.
First up was Abbott and Tennessee. UAโs top four batters went 0 for 12 on seven strikeouts and Abbott threw a one-hitter, striking out 12, as Tennessee won 1-0.
UAโs Alicia Hollowell (31-9) matched her with 12 strikeouts, but she gave up four hits. The lone run came on a bad throw that missed the cut-off person and bounced off Jackie Coburnโs chest protector. She grabbed the ball and threw it to Hollowell, who was covering the plate, but the runner beat the tag.
Arizonaโs Callista Balko throws to first for an out in the opening game of the 2005 Womenโs College World Series. UA lost to Tennessee 1-0 and was eliminated two games later.
Arizona, which finished 45-12, came back to beat Cal 3-2 in 12 innings in its second game of the WCWS, but then fell to Texas 1-0 in 11 innings and was eliminated.
Hollowell came into the game against the Longhorns in relief in the second inning. She struck out 11, gave up five hits and one walk.
Every time the No. 3-seeded Wildcats started a rally, Osterman shut them down. She struck out 19 while walking six and allowing four hits.
Only one Wildcat could hit Osterman โ All-American Caitlin Lowe. She went 3 for 5 and finished the season with a .510 batting average.
The game-winner for the Longhorns was another odd play. This time it was on a run-down between third and home, when Shelly Schultzโs throw to Coburn bounced off Texasโ MicKayala Padillaโs shoulder.
From the archives: The Starโs Brian J. Pedersen wrote that the ball just didnโt bounce Arizonaโs way. In the later innings, both teams were aggressive, but UA coach Mike Candrea said he didnโt take that final shot. He wrote:
Texasโ (Connie) Clark cited the need โto force the issueโ for why she sent Padilla with one out in the top of 11th. Candrea also spoke after the game of trying to push buttons with his teamโs speed.
He had pinch-runner Adrienne Acton try to steal second with one out in the 10th, a move that backfired when Acton was called out and the next two Wildcats drew walks.
But the longtime UA coach admitted to holding back when it came to the Wildcatsโ final at-bats, deciding against a suicide squeeze with either Schultz or (Jen) Martinez despite trying a similar play a few times during the postseason.
Arizona at the 2005 WCWS
โWas it a thought? Yes, but I didnโt feel the percentages were good enough,โ Candrea said. โI just didnโt pull the trigger we had the part of the lineup that we wanted up. Everything was set. (If) Schultz ball is a little deeper then we tag and score.โ
He said it: โThis tournament Iโve seen the ball bounce crazy a couple of times and (twice) itโs cost us ballgames.โ โ Candrea
After OKC: Arizona would lose six players off the team to graduation, while sophomore shortstop Kristie Fox had offseason elbow surgery.
The big number: 30. Hollowell (11) and Osterman (19) combined for 30 strikeouts in Texasโ 11-inning 1-0 win over Arizona. It was a WCWS record.
