By: KSU Sports Information
Inside The Game
In just their third season at the NCAA Division II level, the Owls softball program was already viewed nationally as the team to beat if a squad had designs on a national championship. Their first two seasons since moving on from the NAIA ranks resulted in consecutive national titles in 1995 and 1996, and heading into the postseason in 1997, there was no reason to expect anything different.
Led by the offensive prowess of Julie Eggert, Cara Dornstauder and Shannon McDonough, and the masterful pitching of Natasha Johnson and Brenda Farrell, the Owls cruised to their third straight Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, stretching their regular season PBC record to 44-0 joining the league in 1995. Moreover, their 45-3 mark heading into the NCAA Tournament earned them the right to host the South Atlantic Regional Tournament, giving them a chance to play for a third straight College World Series bid in front of their home crowd.
Immediately, it was easy to tell that the road to the College World Series would be extremely difficult with a bulls-eye on their backs as the two-time defending champs. Their first game at Owl Field (Now Bailey Park) would come against their arch-rival Columbus State, a Peach Belt Conference counterpart just an hour and a half to the south.
The Black and Gold had an 11-2 all-time record against the Cougars to that point, including a robust, 7-1, mark in the postseason, but simple win-loss records can be deceiving. The Owls had to get past the Cougars in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament just three weeks earlier, narrowly winning their final two games of the championship, 6-5 and 3-2, with the Owls scoring the winning run in the championship game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Overall, seven of their 11 wins over Columbus State had come by margins of two runs or less. Add in the fact that Whitlock’s squad had defeated them in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, and there would certainly be no love lost between the teams this time around in Kennesaw.
With the Owls Brenda Farrell in the pitcher’s circle, and Chera Owens tossing against her for CSU, the two squads were able to get runners on base throughout the game, but were unable to string together a big inning that would break the game open. Despite Farrell allowing five hits over her first five innings of work, uncharacteristic for the junior, who finished the season with a 1.14 earned run average, she was able to strand those runners and keep the Cougars off the board. Owens, meanwhile, did the same, keeping the contest a scoreless tie despite allowing seven Owls hits over the first five frames.
The Owls would finally break the stalemate in the top of the sixth (They were playing as the road team even though the game was on their home field). However, they scored just one run despite loading the bases with one out, coming on a single by McDonough. CSU would answer right back in the bottom half of the frame, tying it 1-1, but like the Owls, leaving some runs on the table, as they would strand the bases loaded.
That would be all as far as scoring was concerned for the next few hours. With the utmost confidence in their starters, Whitlock and CSU head coach Judy Favors kept Farrell and Owens out there for the duration, and while both squads would have their share of base runners over the next 10 innings, both pitchers would manage to get out jams unscathed, bringing the two teams into the top of the 17th tied at one run apiece.
It would be a combination of Dornstauder and Eggert, with some help from the fatigued Cougars defense, that would finally move the Owls in front and ultimately give them the crucial victory. Dornstauder would lead off the inning with a double, and after moving over to third base on a wild pitch, would score on a single by Eggert. Eggert would go on to provide an insurance run with two outs in the inning thanks to a CSU error.
Finally with the breathing room she needed, Farrell finished the job, retiring the Cougars in order in the bottom of the 17th inning to finish out the most grueling of close games in KSU vs. CSU lore. The Black and Gold would go on to win two of their next three games over Coker to win their third straight South Atlantic Region Championship, and make their third straight trip to the Women’s College World Series.
Their invincibility would finally come to an end in their quest for a third straight national title, falling to Nebraska-Omaha, 5-3, in their third game of the World Series, to finally face elimination. The loss had a certain irony to it, as they had defeated UNO the previous year in the national championship game. Despite the ultimate disappointment that came from that season, it was that marathon of a game on May 9, 1997, on their home field, that sticks out in the pantheon of Owls softball history.
A Pair of Owls Reflect on Columbus St., 1997 Season
“It was the longest game I’ve ever been a part of. It was crazy, long, intense and very exciting. Both pitchers were on and they had support behind them. It was one of the best games I’ve ever seen pitched."
Julie Eggert
Infielder, 1996-99 (Courtesy: Peach Belt Conference)
"Being my senior year and having already won two straight national titles, I was a bit disappointed to end my career falling short of another national championship. Yet when I look back upon that particular season, I realize our record was one that many can only dream of and am thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of such a great program made up of wonderful coaches and awesome teammates."
Paige Wofford
Infielder, 1994-97
From The Vault
March 26, 2010: KSU-CSU Game is Named #10 Greatest Game in PBC History
(Courtesy: peachbeltconference.org)
May 11, 1997: Owls Win NCAA Regional, Earn Third Straight Trip to WCWS
(Courtesy: Marietta Daily Journal)
Other Great Moments:
#5: Owls Win 2007 Atlantic Sun Conference Title
