Laying down the 'Law'

OKLAHOMA CITY-Danielle Lawrie had seen her team come too far and had expended too much energy Sunday to watch the Huskies' Women's College World Series (WCWS) run end in vain -- not to a team they had already beaten three times and not this close to playing for the title. So after one of the worst starts of her career in a 9-8 loss to Georgia earlier Sunday afternoon, she decided to have her say from the batter's box in last night's loser-out, winner-to-the-finals game. Lawrie's first-inning grand slam was the spark for another offensive onslaught for the Washington softball team in its same-day rematch with the Bulldogs, as the Huskies bounced back with a convincing 9-3 win in the nightcap to advance to the championship series of the WCWS at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Florida now awaits the UW in the best-of-three title tilt beginning today. "I was trying to get a first hit of the tournament because I was hitless," Lawrie said of her first-inning blast. "So first off, I was trying to just make contact and score some runs." This wasn't the Huskies' typical, nail-biting affair, the kind that so often required Lawrie to pitch into extra innings during the regular season. This, after three days of play had taken its toll on just about every pitcher in the tournament, was a slugfest. Lawrie's only job was to hold Georgia down long enough so the Huskies could get another crack at the Bulldogs' fatigued pitching staff. "I had to just kind of take a re-check there and get back to the hotel and do my own thing for a little bit," Lawrie said, "because there was some things I had to change." And she did just that. Georgia did all of its scoring in the third inning, using three consecutive hits to slice the UW lead to 5-3. But Lawrie took over after that, allowing just one hit during the final four innings and striking out eight in that span. "I had one bad inning today, then I just checked in and was like, 'Do we want to make it to the final? OK. Not going to happen, they're not going to score,'" Lawrie said, drawing out her next sentence for added emphasis. "It's a mental switch that is going to be turned on the rest of the week." As much as Lawrie has been the story for the Huskies this year, her actions in the circle were merely a sidebar compared to what her teammates did in the batter's box. UW third baseman Morgan Stuart continued her recent tear. She hit a solo homer in the third inning that gave the Huskies a little insurance and finished 6-for-8 in the two games combined. Then there was Niki Williams, whose Ruthian-like plate presence has turned heads all weekend. The freshman hit a three-run jack and a grand slam in the UW's afternoon loss to Georgia, then drove in her eighth run of the day with an RBI single late in the Huskies' win last night. Her seven RBI in the loss set a WCWS single-game record, and her 10 RBI for the entire series is also an all-time high. The whole day was like that, following a tournament trend that has seen offenses rule what has in years past been a pitching-heavy affair. The UW scored 17 runs in its two games yesterday, hit four home runs, two grand slams and recorded 24 hits. It was a welcome change for a team that has often relied on leadoff hitter and All-American Ashley Charters to get things going. She didn't have to yesterday. "I think it's an entire team effort," said head coach Heather Tarr. "And I think our team believes that if Ash doesn't get it done, then Kimi [Pohlman]'s going to get it done ... coming in front of Ashley is Niki, and Niki just passes the bat and turns it back to the top of the lineup. It's kind of fun seeing that happen." Not as fun, surely, as two more wins would be. Game 1: Georgia 9, Washington 8 Williams' three-run homer in the top of the second inning would have been all Lawrie would need on some days, but she just didn't have it against the Bulldogs, as she yielded nine hits and gave up nine runs to take the loss. The fact that the UW made it last nine innings was an accomplishment in itself. Down 8-4 after the Bulldogs hung a four-spot on the UW in the fourth inning, Williams parked another ball over the left-field fence to knot things up at 8-8. Georgia used four different pitchers - including four pitching changes, meaning that they brought Taylor Schlopy back into the game after she'd already been removed once - and was the benefit of some good luck when a ball that Husky catcher Alicia Blake hit deep down the right field line was ruled foul. Replays showed that it landed in fair territory beyond the fence and appeared to be a two-run homer. Georgia escaped the inning unscathed. The Bulldogs finally won it in the bottom of the ninth when Lawrie's 3-2 delivery to Brianna Hesson missed just off the plate to force home the winning run with the bases loaded, forcing last night's decisive second game. Reach sports editor Christian Caple at sports@dailyuw.com.

Laying down the 'Law'

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