King’s Reign in Texas Is Off to Good Start

The audible grunt is unmistakable, even in Austin.

Natalie King, the flame-throwing softball pitcher from Fountain Valley, has found that life in Texas is more rewarding than she expected.

Even if everything doesn’t always go her way.

King, a freshman, was the losing pitcher in Sunday’s semifinal of the Kia Klassic at Cal State Fullerton, her four-hitter not good enough in a 2-0 loss to DePaul.

King, a Times’ Orange County first-team selection last season, dropped to 8-7 for the Longhorns (16-14).

“I love the school, I love this team--it’s just an awesome experience,” King said. “You have a lineup, one through nine, who can hit, you don’t doubt anybody. I have so much more trust in my pitches. I can go inside and know my third baseman or shortstop will get it. It’s a good feeling knowing you have such a defense behind you.”

King pitched a no-hitter against New Mexico State on the first day of the Kia Klassic, but her defense--and the Longhorns’ offense--suffered a setback during the tournament. All-American shortstop Lindsay Gardner broke her arm in a 2-1 quarterfinal victory Saturday over second-ranked Arizona.

But Gardner’s a sophomore, and left-handed pitcher Catherine Osterman, one of the nation’s top recruits from Houston Cypress Springs High, has signed with Texas.

“When it comes to the future, we’re smiling,” said first-year assistant coach Jill Matyuch, who coached last season at El Dorado High.

King said she feels less pressure this season than last year.

“In high school, I felt it was all on me,” she said. “My team behind me was awesome, but I think there was more internal pressure in high school.”

She said the biggest adjustment to college has been the move to 43 feet, instead of 40, from the pitching rubber to home plate.

“It might not seem like a big difference, but it’s huge,” King said. “It’s so much more mental than it ever was in high school. Against certain teams, you were used to blowing it by them, and you can’t anymore. They’re all good hitters, one through nine, and you have to be smarter than them. That’s the biggest thing, learning to work with my catcher and adjust to [the distance].”

Texas went into the Kia Klassic ranked No. 20 nationally. King is accustomed to battling among the upper echelon of teams, going back to her Fountain Valley days. But there is a difference at this level.

Instead of pitching every inning of every game and having a team’s fortunes rest on her performance, King alternates with senior pitcher Charla Moore.

“It’s been really good not having the whole load on my shoulders,” King said.

There has been another advantage to having Moore around.

“It’s nice having someone, as experienced as she is, who I can go and talk to,” King said. “That’s what I need--someone else to talk to who is going through the same thing I am as a freshman. I’m so lucky to have a senior pitcher.”

King has certainly impressed Matyuch, who graduated from El Dorado in 1986 and, like Texas Coach Connie Clark, played at Cal State Fullerton.

“For a freshman, it’s a hard transition going back three feet,” Matyuch said. “You’re not going to get any gimme games at this level. She’s a champion.”

King certainly hopes to do her part to fulfill those expectations.

“Everyone is here for the same reason--to win,” King said. “Every game, we’re getting closer. We all want the same thing.”

FIGHTING FOR IRISH

Lizzy Lemire is one-quarter Irish, but she bought into Notre Dame’s tradition 100 percent.

Lemire is on the verge of graduating from Notre Dame with a double major, sociology and computer applications, while leaving behind a legacy at a school known for its tradition.

The Irish, ranked 14th in the nation in softball, used to be a team that never inspired fear in opponents.

But that changed during Lemire’s tenure.

“A lot of girls didn’t know what it was like to give your heart and soul to something you do every day,” said ninth-year Coach Liz Miller. “Lizzy exemplifies everything Notre Dame is about both on and off the field. She knows what it means to make a commitment in all aspects.

“Notre Dame was never a program that people took too seriously.”

That has changed. After reaching the semifinals of the Kia Klassic Sunday, the Fighting Irish are 18-3.

That’s a far cry from Lemire’s freshman season, in which Notre Dame “lost a lot of games we shouldn’t have.” It got better her sophomore season with “a change in attitude and leadership,” she said.

Lemire, now a left fielder, was a big part of that change.

“Lizzy’s always a leader wherever she’s at,” Miller said. “Not only has she brought athletic ability, but she also brought pride to the program.”

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