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UCLA players mob teammate Claire Sua after her fifth-inning home run tied the game. UCLA went on

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Sue Enquist had a feeling. And that’s really all that mattered.

The lack of experience didn’t matter. The magnitude of the situation didn’t matter.

The UCLA coach felt that freshman Kristen Dedmon could come through in the clutch for the Bruins, and, well, she did just that.

With two outs in the fifth inning and the Bruins making their only rally of the Women’s College World Series, Enquist turned to Dedmon to pinch hit.

It was Dedmon’s first at-bat of the playoffs, but she came through with the biggest hit of her career, a single up the middle to give UCLA a 3-1 lead over Cal, which became a 3-1 win, and back-to-back titles.

“I had been waiting for it the whole weekend,” Dedmon said. “I knew that if I went out there and swung the bat like I knew how, just nice and easy ... I knew that good things would happen.”

Good things indeed. With the victory, the Bruins have 10 NCAA titles in softball, more than any other school in Division I. Senior Keira Goerl became only the third pitcher in NCAA history to win back-to-back title games.

“I don’t know how many people can say they’ve done it,” Goerl said. “But this is something truly special.”

But for most of the game it looked like the Bruins’ repeat bid was in trouble. Cal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a double by second baseman Jessica Pamanean.

Golden Bears pitcher Kelly Anderson made the lead stand up by throwing four perfect innings.

Then she met UCLA senior first baseman Claire Sua, who crushed the first pitch of the fifth inning over the outfield wall to tie the game at 1-1.

“I said, ‘What do I have to lose out here? It’s my last game, you know,’” Sua said. “‘I’m just going to go out and I’m going to go for it. If I take a big whiff then oh well, that stunk.’”

Senior Stephanie Ramos got hit by a pitch and freshman shortstop Jodie Legaspi walked, prompting Cal to bring in pitcher Kristen Thorson.

Sophomore catcher Emily Zaplatosch sacrificed to move the runners over, and designated player Michelle Turner struck out.

Then Enquist had that feeling that Dedmon could perform in the clutch. And she came through, scoring pinch runners Amanda Simpson and Tara Henry on the single.

Though a freshman, Dedmon had a certain calm that inspired confidence.

Part of the reason she was so collected was she did not fully grasp the magnitude of her at bat.

“I didn’t even know there were two outs,” Dedmon said. “I had just come from swinging my bat out in the outfield.”

The one breakthrough inning was all senior pitcher Keira Goerl would need to beat Cal in the championship game for the second time in a row.

She did not have the overpowering presence of last year, when she was named most outstanding player, but she was able to work out of jams and strand runners all night long.

“Keira did what she had to today to keep us in the ballgame,” Enquist said.

Goerl’s clutch pitching was the difference in the championship once again for UCLA. The Bruins only got runners on in the third inning, but three of the four hitters who reached base scored.

Meanwhile, Cal got hits in every inning but the fourth, yet they could only push one runner past home plate.

“When you get seven hits and only score one run and the other team gets two and scores three, I guess it wasn’t your turn to win,” Cal catcher Haley Woods said.

This was typical of Goerl’s weekend. While she did not rack up the strikeouts, she was able to put zero after zero on the board, allowing only four runs in 33 innings. Most importantly, she got four wins.

While the future for UCLA looks bright, Monday’s championship also marked the end of an era for the Bruins, as their five seniors realized this would be their last game.

“Just UCLA has been such a big part,” Goerl said before she started to cry. “To go out like this is awesome. This is truly the last day that we’re going to be putting on the uniform.”

For the senior class, it is the third time they have been to the championship game and their second victory.

But perhaps more importantly, Monday’s win was their last way to continue UCLA’s legacy of dominance on the field.

“We’re just very proud to go out wearing this uniform,” Sua said. “I’m most happy that I went out a winner with the five seniors that I did.”