GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the
record-ESPN audience of 1.68 million that watched Monday night's Game 1 final of the Women's College World Series, the takeaway likely focused on the will, effort and fight of the players on the field and, ultimately, the decisive plays that ended an unforgettable, epic 17-inning affair between Oklahoma and Florida.
The outcome, a 7-5 win for the ninth-seeded Sooners, paved the way for OU's second straight national championship, a crown it clinched with Tuesday night's 5-4 victory over the top-seeded Gators in Game 2 at sold-out USA Hall of Fame Stadium. When it was over, the totality of the two nights — including the record-setting ESPN viewership the games garnered — had helped elevate the already-popular profile of collegiate softball.
A positive take-away, perhaps, for the Gators following their 58-10 season.
"Not really," UF coach
Tim Walton said Wednesday on his team's return flight from Oklahoma City. "We still lost."
Not that Walton didn't appreciate the battle or some of the individual plays that kept his team alive. He did. In fact the Gators' ability to twice fend off down-to-the-final strike plays and tie Game 1, then give themselves a chance in a one-run Game 2 made him think about how far his team had come the last five months.
When his players returned for Christmas break in January he had some questions about their collective mental toughness. He liked his team, but its preparation through the fall had him wondering if the Gators had the goods to be more than a good postseason team, but national-championship contender.
"It's a different bar here," he said.
The Gators went on to exceed that bar, capturing the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, winning a bloodbath pitching-duel in their Super Regional against Alabama, steam-rolling to three wins in the elimination rounds at the WCWS, then giving OU fits in the finals.
Mental toughness personified.
Redshirt freshman shortstop Sophia Reynoso hugs senior stalwart Delanie Gourley after her final game in a UF uniform Tuesday night.
"We really didn't know what our identity was coming into the [season], but we just grew every single day, and every single day someone stepped up," sophomore outfielder
Amanda Lorenz said. "This team was so special because everybody contributed and everybody had the mindset that if they were put in the game they were going to get something done for their teammates."
In further examining that toughness, Walton talked about senior pitcher
Delanie Gourley (of course, he did). He recalled how Gourley, due to a foot issue, was unable to participate in the team's brutal and grueling 6 a.m. running sessions in the fall. Instead, she showed up for every one of the workouts to be with her teammates -- and did planks on the sidelines while they ran.
Then she went to the weight room to train by herself.
"That's what I'm talking about," Walton said.
Want toughness? How 'bout seven innings from Gourley Sunday, eight more in Monday's marathon, then 4 2/3 more Tuesday, allowing just three earned runs over the three days. She gave the Gators a chance.
It was an inspiring display, to be sure, and one Walton wants a talented core of returning players — Lorenz, catcher
Janell Wheaton and pitcher
Kelly Barnhill, to name a few — to take measure of, mimic and pass on as the Gators look to 2018.
In addition to Lorenz, Wheaton and Barnhill, the team will have four other key starters back in first baseman
Kayli Kvistad, second baseman
Nicole DeWitt, sophomore
Sophia Reynoso and do-everything utility standout
Aleshia Ocasio. Walton, as he does annually, also signed one of the top incoming freshman classes in the country, with a duo of current U19 Team USA stars on the way in shortstop Hannah Adams (Georgia) and pitcher Natalie Lugo (California), plus a pair of power-hitters in first baseman/catcher Danielle Romanello (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Jordan Matthews (California).
It figures to be a squad — again — fitting for a program that has averaged nearly 56 wins in Walton's 12 seasons, been to five WCWS finals, claimed two national championships and just came awfully close to playing for a third.
Walton hopes the achievements of 2017 carry over to 2018.
The determination, as well.
"We always challenge each team so differently," Walton said. "We challenged this team every day about them getting tougher, mentally tougher, and they rose to that challenge."
