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Sunday, July 28, 1996

From the beach to track and field, Bruins win medals

By Brent Boyd

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

Perhaps the greatest game in Bruin softball history occurred Friday. But, there were no blue and gold jerseys, no eight-claps in the stands and it doesn't even count in the standings.

Instead the Bruins were dressed in the colors of their countries ­ competing for both the United States and Australia ­ with the Olympic rings ever present.

Lisa Fernandez, who compiled a 93-7 record during her four-year tenure at UCLA, took the mound for the United States. Having Fernandez on the hill should have guaranteed a U.S. victory, extending their international record to 116-1. After all, in her last 79 innings of work, she had given up two hits.

In her first 9-2/3 innings against Australia, she was true to form, not allowing a single base runner. After the United States took a 1-0 lead in the tenth on UCLA alumna Sheila Cornell's single, Fernandez was trying to finish the game. With two outs and a 1-2 count against Australian Joanne Brown, the former Bruin teammate of Fernandez, the outcome seemed all but clinched.

That's when Fernandez made a mistake.

With a runner automatically placed on second due to the international tiebreak rule, Brown hit a two-run shot over the center field fence to give Australia a 2-1 victory.

"Pitching 101 will tell you that you shouldn't come with something over the plate when you are that far ahead in the count," said Fernandez.

Adding to the irony for Fernandez is the fact the winning pitcher was Tanya Harding, her successor on the mound at UCLA.

Harding, played for the Bruins the last 35 games of the 1994 season and helped the team to the NCAA championship. She had been described as a hired gun after she returned to her native Australia only days after UCLA had won the title.

However, the game should never have gone extra innings. In the fifth inning, American Dani Tyler hit a solo home run to give the U.S. an apparent 1-0 lead. However, she neglected to step on home plate and the run was taken off the board, allowing the game to extend to extra innings.

However, the loss did nothing to hurt the chances of an American gold medal. The team beat China on Saturday, thanks to Cornell's game-winning, two-run homer. This clinched the No. 1 seed for USA in the medal round, and a rematch against Australia in the semi-finals.

"This game was good softball, and that was what this is all about," said USA shortstop and UCLA alumna Dot Richardson.

* * *

UCLA junior third baseman Troy Glaus hit home runs in the last two games for the United States. His first, on Friday, was one of four consecutive Americans to hit round trippers in the first inning of the United States' 15-5 victory over Japan.

Two days later, Glaus hit a 481-foot shot against Australia, helping lead the U.S. to another 15-5 victory.

Bruin pitching ace Jim Parque made one appearance in the Olympics. Throwing one inning against Japan, he gave up one hit and no runs.

* * *

Several former Bruins found themselves on the medal stand at Olympic Stadium during the Track and Field competition which began on Friday.

Gail Devers won the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 10.94.

In a race plagued by a controversial disqualification of British sprinter Linford Christie, Ato Boldon took the bronze in the men's 100-meter. Boldon had an early lead, but could not contain Canada's Donovan Bailey, who broke the world record with a time of 9.84. UCLA alum Mike Marsh finished in fourth.

John Godina's 68-foot, 2 1/2-inch throw was not enough for the UCLA alumnus to win the shot put competition. He settled for the silver behind fellow American Randy Barnes. Godina will get a chance at redemption on Wednesday, when he competes in the discus competition.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee withdrew from the heptathlon competition because of an injured hamstring. After the first event of the competition, the 100-meter hurdles, Joyner-Kersee gave up any hope she had of winning her third consecutive Olympic heptathlon. She may compete in the long jump Thursday.

* * *

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes won the gold medal match in beach volleyball Sunday. They beat fellow Americans Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh 12-8, 12-5 to win the first ever beach volleyball tournament in Olympic history.

Daily Bruin wire services contributed to this report.

SCOTT QUINTARD

Tanya Harding, seen pitching for UCLA, plays for Australia.

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