COLLEGE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES : UCLA’s Drive to Title Is Overnight Success

Heather Compton had to wait a day to resume pitching UCLA to its third consecutive NCAA women’s College World Series championship. But she didn’t let it bother her.

“There was no hesitation,” Compton said after UCLA defeated Frenso State, 2-0, Monday. “You get really nervous. You have to turn that nervousness into excitement, and I tried to go out there and do my best.”

Compton and UCLA led, 1-0, after 2 1/2 innings of play Sunday, but the game was postponed because of rain. She finished a one-hit, five-strikeout performance Monday.

UCLA Coach Sharron Backus said it was difficult to determine what effect, if any, the delay had on her team.

“It’s hard to say. We were extremely tired. I got a couple of hours of sleep,” Backus said.

“I didn’t know which team was going to wake up this morning, or whether Fresno was going to come in and take it away.”

The Bruins (62-6) scored in the first inning on two singles and a wild pitch and in the third on two singles and a sacrifice.

Compton (18-1) had a perfect game going into the fifth inning, but gave up a single to leadoff batter Kerri Donis.

Terry Carpenter took the loss for Fresno State (61-15).

The Bruins have won six of the last eight NCAA titles, but Fresno State Coach Margie Wright doesn’t believe in a UCLA dynasty.

“The only dynasty they have is in their own heads,” she said. “When the other teams believe they can start the same thing, then they can do it. I thought this year was the year someone would do that. I think other teams allow that to happen.”