Hope any aspiring pitchers saw...

...the game between unc and washington on tv this weekend. wow. Danielle was magnificent!! Both of them!!

 

had the pleasure of watching the game with my family. Even after giving up the big two out double to Ally the UW pitcher never exhibited anything but total confidence out there. She never doubted she was going to get the third out.. simply the most impressive mound demeanor I have ever witnessed and has perhaps the best "presence" on any athletic field in any sport... a winner.

 

Don't forget...

Not trying to hijack this thread but don't forget about the Oregon pitcher (sorry, forget her name) who was asked to come off the bench in the bottom of the 7th, bases loaded, one out, game tied and slipping away (GT already scored two to tie it up). All she did was come out on the mound and strike out the next two batters to end the inning. Oregon scratched one in the top of the 8th so she struck out the first two batters and got the third to ground out to her to end the game.

Now that is impressive!!!

 

Tuff Spot

I'll agree with Jav' on the Oregon pitcher. As I heard it, the other pitcher had pitched the entire tourney up to that point. Bases loaded 1 out, our #1 pitcher is struggling. "Lets see, send in the new girl". She goes in and strikes out 4 out of 5 batters. Now that is serious back up performance!

 

I was saying in the 7th inning that Oregon should bring in a closer. But they got away with it.

I think GT made a huge mistake pitching Hope Rush that game. They should have saved her for the if game.

But it worked out well. Coaching played a big part in the game.

 

...Hope Rush is a very good pitcher, no doubt, but to me she looked tired and couldn't get to a couple of hits right back up the middle.
Kristen Adkins is the other pitcher. She was GTs ace last year and can still bring the heat.

Fishman

 

I try to get as many of my players and the girls I work with to watch and study these games as I can. They can learn so much from people like Smith and Mendoza if they will listen. Just watched the SEC championship with a couple of my players. Michelle talks about how pitchers need to condition and then later they both analyze the homerun swing (Lunceford) that was the game winner. Great info and knowledge from just watching a game on TV. I wish more kids would take advantage of the games on TV the next few weeks.

 

also

There are many ways to pitch and many pitchers have many styles. But it all comes down to the release at the hip. Both DS and DL had command of the mound this past weekend in Washington. They struck each other out. Both pitched outstanding DS had 2 no-hitters, was 3 walks from a perfect game against NEB. Someone had to go home. I was pulling for UNC and had hoped that they would have been in a different REG. But you go and play and see what happens. I hope all the girls that read these post will understand, that to play on that high a level takes focus and some gifts from above and a lot of hard work. Weather you pitch, catch or play OF. You still have to throw it, catch it and hit it................. and do it very well

 

IF

IF UNC had won their 2nd game on Sun., would Spaulding have started and pitched again the final elimination game, which was scheduled to begin 30 minutes later?

 

Probably not but she'd be back in the game ASAP if UNC started giving up runs. BTW, the Pac-10 plays their regular season games 1 on fri. 1 on sat. and then 1 on sun. which is a big advantage pitching wise.
In the NCAAs your play isdetermined by winning and losing and had UNC topped UW in the elimination game sun. and the series went to the "if" game, I'm sure DL would have pitched but I wonder if she would have enough gas to carry all 7 innings. Most likely yes, but you never know.

UNC has a few more talented pitchers for sure, and theres no slander to any of them by being considered a second option in the circle for UNC and Spaulding.

Singed: Fishman, the back-up, to the back-up of Jose Canseco.