NCAA Women's Softball World Series

Lakers vs. Celtics, Yankees vs. Red Sox, and Oklahoma vs. Texas are just a few of the sports rivalries that pop into ones mind when thinking on the subject. One that may have eluded the sports fans mind is UCLA vs. Arizona. I'm sure most people if asked to name the top women's NCAA rivalry would come up with Tennessee vs. UCONN in basketball. With 15 titles between (8 for Tennessee and 7 for UCONN) them this would be a great guess. But it would be wrong. UCLA women's softball has won 10 World Series titles to Arizona's 8 titles. These are the top two elite softball programs in NCAA history. The only other team with multiple World Series wins is Texas A&M with two.

Arizona is just the third team to lose its opening game in the College Softball World Series to go into the finals. After being run ruled by Tennessee 9-0 in the 5^th inning of its opening day in Oklahoma City, Arizona went on to run the table to make it to the finals. Beating among others Tennessee twice in the semifinals, returning the favor and run ruling them 8-0 in their first game, and winning 5-2 in the second game later that same day. What's impressive is not only did Arizona have to play every game after the drubbing by Tennessee as an elimination game on their way to the finals, but they did so, on the back of Kenzie Fowler a freshman. A young lady who not only overcame illegal pitch calls, which seem to be in vogue to call this year. But she also overcame having a rib surgically removed in high school to relieve a condition known, asthoracic outlet syndrome.

Waiting there for them is the most elite softball program in NCAA history the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins coaching staff reads like a who's who of softball greats and seems to have the same mentality of a country club in the 1950's, if you don't have UCLA blood in you, you need not apply. With the recent passing of UCLA Basketball coaching great John Wooden the Bruins seem to have drawn inspiration from a higher level, as if they needed it. In game one on Monday night in extra innings the impossible or at least improbable happened. Megan Lagenfeld who was pitching with a blister on her pitching hand and super glue holding her cuticles together was pulled from the circle in the top of the 7^th after giving up a two run go ahead homerun, and put on first base. One extra inning later, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth Lagenfeld with a bleeding hand and heavy yet hopeful heart hit a Ruthian blast over the fence into the TV tower to end the game.

This was all made possible by the fact that a catchable fly ball in the seventh inning, to left center field was allowed to drop in due to a miscommunication. When Lauren Schultzer tried to call off Brittany Lestrapes who didn't exactly slow down, and made Schultzer pull up. Lestrapes to her credit has been the lead off spark plug for Arizona and is playing with Mononucleosis, and the ball wouldn't have been a routine catch to begin with. So if you're looking for something to watch tonight and you are a sports fan I implore you to tune into Game 2 of the Women's college world series on ESPN. It's an elimination game for Arizona but that hasn't made much of a difference to them. And UCLA is trying to win one more for Coach Wooden, a man who implored his players to be exceptional people as well as athletes. And I assure you Coach Wooden would not be disappointed on either count by any of the young ladies you can watch play tonight.

After all have you ever seen a major league baseball player, play when they had Mononucleosis, or super glue their cuticle so they could pitch, or for that matter when was the last time you saw a major league pitcher pulled from the mound, moved to first base after blowing a lead, and then hit a walk off homerun in extra innings? I didn't think so.