Post Game Notes

Softball

UCLA senior shortstop Natasha Watley has a career postseason average of .360, including a .357 career average in four WCWS, a .366 average in the 2003 postseason and a .437 average in the 2003 WCWS.

May 25, 2003

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  • UCLA senior shortstop Natasha Watley has a career postseason average of .360, including a .357 career average in four WCWS, a .366 average in the 2003 postseason and a .437 average in the 2003 WCWS. Despite her postseason success, Watley picked up just her second ever RBI in the WCWS today in the seventh inning.

  • Texas sophomore pitcher Amy Bradford made her first pitching appearance since a one-inning outing against Southwest Texas May 17 in the Region 3 Championships. She also threw one inning against Texas A&M- Corpus Christi in the regional. Her longest outing prior to today's 2.2 innings was against Kansas on April 19 when she threw 4.1 innings, giving up no runs before sustaining an injury. Today's outing for starter Cat Osterman, who threw 4.0 innings and gave up one earned run, was her shortest since April 19 against Kansas when she went 1.2 innings.

  • Osterman suffered her first loss at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium as a collegian. She is now 10-1 in the stadium (Big 12 Tournament and WCWS competition).

  • UCLA is perfect 5-0 against Texas all-time and has defeated Osterman in its two meetings with the 2003 USA Softball National Player of the Year. Osterman, who lost to the Bruins in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Classic, has now given up nine earned runs in 5.2 innings of work against UCLA.

  • UCLA snapped Texas' school-record 20-game winning streak. The Bruins also snapped an 18-game winning streak by Osterman, which dated back to April 5 (was also the last time the Longhorns lost). The last time the Longhorns gave up three runs in a game was March 30 in a 3-1 loss at Nebraska.

  • UCLA senior designated player Toria Auelua's home run was her first hit of the WCWS and first RBI in the WCWS. The home run pushes the total by the 2003 WCWS field to a record 17, breaking the previous mark of 16 in 2000.

  • Bruin sophomore Keira Goerl picked up her third complete game in the last two days and fourth of the 2003 WCWS. She has started each of UCLA's eight postseason games this month and is 7-1.

  • Tonight's two semifinal games mark the just the second time in WCWS history that two if-necessary games are played. The other time it happened was in 1997 when UCLA and Washington, and Arizona and Fresno State each played twice to decide the championship matchup. Arizona beat UCLA 10-2 in five innings in the 1997 title game.

  • The home team is now just 4-8 in the 2003 WCWS (Texas was the home team against UCLA this afternoon).

  • The rematch between Texas and UCLA will take place approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Arizona and Cal rematch, which is scheduled to begin at 6:55.

  • Of the four remaining teams in the 2003 WCWS, only Texas has not won a NCAA softball national championship. Cal won in 2002, UCLA has won nine national championships (most recently in 1999) and Arizona has earned six national championships (most recently in 2001).