RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Wow… just… wow.
The most successful college softball program ever put a cap on an amazing season as UCLA–one night after pounding Oklahoma 16-3–won on a dramatic bottom of the 7th walk-off single by Kinsey Washington to sweep the Sooners with the 5-4 victory.
The Tournament MVP efforts of Rachel Garcia were, as always, impressive, but the 2019 National Championship, which was the Pac-12 program’s 12th, showed that UCLAÂ isn’t just a one-player team.
If it wasn’t an impressive catch in left field by freshman Kelli Godin, it was the clutch hitting of Kinsley Washington, who found the perfect time to catch fire as she went 4-for-4 Monday night and 2-for-4 Tuesday night including the game winner.
This video shows it all (and kudos to ESPN for an outstanding WCWS production as always and the NCAA, whose Twitter page was awesome in keeping us up on the key plays of every game):
What a way to win the National Championship! Kinsley Washington is CLUTCH and walks it off for the Bruins!#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/hFm1q9895Z
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 5, 2019
UCLA (56-6) has won NCAA titles in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988-90, 1992, 1999, 2003-04, 2010, and now 2019, but you just felt it wouldn’t come easily against the battle-tested Sooners.
Really, how many thought Monday night’s 16-3 loss would cause Oklahoma to lose faith and loser fire?
Going for its third title in four years, the Patty Gasso-led Sooners could have given up at any point, but didn’t you think that when Shay Knighten hit that amazingly clutch home run with two outs in the top of the 7th that destiny and momentum swung back to the Sooners’ side?
BIG PLAY SHAY! BIG PLAY SHAY!
Down to the final out, Shay Knighten TIES IT UP, 4-4, in the seventh inning!!!#WCWS | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/6dSlRR1hHw
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 5, 2019
It was telling, however, that Rachel Garcia was laughing after she gave up that home run which could have been demoralizing, but instead just prolonged the sweep by UCLA.
Garcia didn’t let the game-tying home run overcome her, she just plugged away as did the entire UCLA team to stay in the game and not lose confidence.
Not surprisingly, the two teams led by great coaches (Kelly Inouye-Perez and Gasso) stayed focused and made big plays when needed but this year UCLA peaked at the right time, just as Florida State did in 2018 (and, ironically, came from the loser’s bracket and defeated UCLA twice to make it to the 2018 Championship Series where the Noles swept Washington).
Reviewing the two-games of the Series, f you could pick out any stat that was most surprising, what would it be?
For many, it would be that UCLA hit eight home runs in the two wins and smashed the ball against a great pitching staff of Oklahoma’s that included three aces in Giselle Juarez, Mariah Lopez and Shannon Saile.
There was SO much drama in the entire NCAA Playoffs and WCWS, but you couldn’t write a script any better than Tuesday’s (if you’re a UCLA fan, but really… we can all enjoy the story if you’re a softball fan).
Picture this, then… you are the daughter of a former UCLA All-American football player, safety James Washington, who went on to win two Super Bowl rings with the Dallas Cowboys.
UCLA is your dream school and you get to play for the Bruins who haven’t been to the Championship Series final in almost a decade.
You suddenly catch on fire at the plate and are 5-for-7 when, in the bottom of the 7th of the potential series-clinching title contest, you hit an RBI single that doesn’t give you just the game, it gives you the National Championship trophy and your team’s softball 12th title.
No wonder that Kinsley Washington was overcome with emotion… this is the stuff that dreams are made of!
All the feels! Kinsley Washington is the HERO!#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/vvTs64eodi
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 5, 2019