College Softball World Series : UCLA Wins, 1-0; Fullerton Avoids Elimination

UCLA has won three NCAA softball championships, a number only moderately impressive until you realize that there have been only five.

The fourth-ranked Bruins, who won national titles in 1982, 1984 and 1985 but were only 28-15 last year and did not even get into the NCAA playoffs, clinched a berth in the 1987 College World Series final.

They did it with a 1-0 victory over second-ranked Texas A&M; Saturday at Seymour Smith Field, scoring in the first inning.

Texas A&M; (53-8), which had beaten defending champion Cal State Fullerton in a 13-inning game Friday, was the only other team besides UCLA without a loss in the double-elimination tournament.

UCLA (49-8) will play for the national title today, playing either one or two games, the number of games and the opponents depending upon the outcome of Saturday’s late games.

The Bruins have won 11 straight games and 16 of their last 17. They’re also unscored upon in three series games.

UCLA scored the only run it needed against A&M; when Gina Holstrom singled, driving in Sandra Arledge, who had singled and advancing to third on an error on Lisa Hankerd’s bunt.

Freshman Lisa Longaker (20-4), a first-team All-American, has earned all three UCLA series victories.

Top-ranked Fullerton came within two outs of being eliminated in an earlier game Saturday. The Titans (59-9) trailed Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. rival Fresno State, 1-0, in the bottom of the seventh, but scored twice to win, 2-1.

With one out and runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Cathi Hall doubled off the right-center field fence, driving in Michelle Gromacki, who had reached on an error and advanced on a fielder’s choice.

Charis Monroe, who had reached on the fielder’s choice and gone to third on the double, scored the winning run on Chenita Rogers’ sacrifice fly to deep right field on the next at-bat.

Connie Clark (33-4) earned the victory, pitching a two-hitter. Melanie Parrent (24-9) didn’t allow an earned run on six hits, but took the loss.

“I was about ready to give up in the sixth inning,” said Judi Garman, Cal State Fullerton coach. “I thought if we didn’t score then, we weren’t going to. All I could think was that (Clark) was going to pitch a one-hitter and lose her final game. I felt so badly for her.”

Hall, a junior who also plays on the basketball team, hit .268 during the regular season.

“There’s some days when you get that shaky feeling and you just don’t have confidence,” said Hall. “It wasn’t like that today.”

Fullerton avenged an 8-1 loss to Fresno State in the final game of the regular season that cost the Titans the PCAA title outright, forcing them to share it with the Bulldogs.

“They beat us so badly last time we felt like we had a score to settle,” Garman said.

Texas A&M; eliminated Nebraska, 4-0, in a later game Saturday. UCLA and Fullerton--the two winningest teams in NCAA tournament history--were to play in the final game Saturday night, although rain was forecast.

If Fullerton defeats UCLA, the Titans will play Texas A&M; for the right to face UCLA in the final. If UCLA beats Fullerton, the Bruins would need to win only one of two games against Texas A&M; today to win the title.