College Softball : Wheatley Not Quite Pitcher Perfect as Titans Win Title

Cal Poly Pomona pitcher Rhonda Wheatley shut out Cal State Fullerton for 17 innings over the course of two games in Sunday’s PONY Invitational softball tournament championship at Fullerton.

But an error by first baseman Kandi Burke allowed Fullerton a run in the ninth inning as the Titans defeated Pomona, 1-0, to win the invitational.

The Titans’ Lisa Baker doubled down the right field line to open the ninth. Catcher Maridee Richards bunted back to Wheatley, who threw to Burke covering the base. The throw was on target, but as Wheatley said later, Burke “just missed it.” Baker scored on the errant throw.

It was a disappointing finish to an otherwise outstanding day for Wheatley, who led the Broncos to a 1-0, nine-inning victory in the first game, forcing a second game to determine the champion in the double-elimination tournament. Fullerton had advanced to Sunday’s final as the tournament’s only undefeated team, and Pomona needed to beat the Titans twice to win the title.

“Both teams played such great defense, it figured it would take a mistake to win it,” Titan Coach Judi Garman said.

In the Broncos’ half of the ninth, Titan pitcher Debbie Mygind, who pitched quite a game herself, got some help from second baseman Valerie Van Kirk, who fielded a sharply hit grounder by Donna McElrea and turned it into a double play.

Mygind, a senior from Auckland, New Zealand, then got Jamie McCandlish to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

Mygind struck out five, gave up five hits and improved her record to 13-1.

But Wheatley was the tournament’s pitching star, nevertheless.

Wheatley, a sophomore, pitched every inning for the Broncos (23-7) in the tournament. She pitched a no-hitter and recorded 14 strikeouts in Friday night’s 1-0 win over Oklahoma. She also gave up just two earned runs in 56 innings posting a 4-2 mark to lead Pomona to second place.

Surprisingly, she said her arm didn’t hurt a bit.

“It might hurt tonight, though,” Wheatley said.

Will Pomona Coach Carol Spanks give Wheatley some time to recover this week?

“We’re all resting until Wednesday,” Spanks said.

The Broncos might have gone out winners Sunday if they hadn’t missed a chance to score in the bottom of the fifth.

McCandlish opened the inning with a single up the middle, then with one out she moved to third on Lyn Callahan’s single to center. Callahan took second when the throw went to the catcher. The Titans decided to intentionally walk Alison Stowell to load the bases.

But Mygind struck out Sue Claypool to end the Bronco threat.

“When they had the bases loaded I thought that was the turning point,” Garman said. “They started getting flat after that.”