June2015

Chamberlain a special player by Bill Plummer

June 1, 2015

Oklahoma City, OK

Chamberlain a special athlete
By Bill Plummer
 
It doesn't happen that often and isn't expected, but on occasion there 
will be a special athlete who will after her four-year career is 
completed will be  recognized as one of the "best ever."
OU senior Lauren Chamberlain certainly has that destination.
 
Chamberlain completed her college career in Tuscaloosa, Ala. as her 
Sooners lost to Alabama, 5-3, in the if necessary game  Saturday of the 
Super Regional. Chamberlain did more than her part to keep the Sooners 
in the game, hitting a two-run homer and a solo homer, giving OU a 3-1 
lead heading into the sixth inning.
 
Unfortunately, the Sooners couldn't maintain the lead and lost on a 
grand slam homer by
Marsia Ruynon who was hitless in 13 at bats entering the batter's box.  
Her grand slam was her 19th homer of the season and one that she won't 
forget
 
One of five seniors on the OU team, Chamberlain finished her career with 
a record 95 home runs and a slugging percentage of .960. The two are 
NCAA career records, and if she hadn't missed 25 games last year because 
of a leg injury, Chamberlain would have had at least 100 homers or more 
for her career. The two homers against Alabama was the 17th multi-homer 
game in her career and third in postseason.
 
She finished the year with a .399 batting average and that is impressive 
when you are considered the NCAA all-time career home run champion. 
Chamberlain hit 30 each her first two years before the injured slowed 
her down her junior year as she finished with 12 before hitting 23 this 
year.
 
Chamberlain had three hits during the Super Regional and all were home 
runs, but the Sooners needed additional timely hits besides 
Chamberlain's. Lauren was three-for-nine in the Super Regional, driving 
in five runs.
 
"I congratulate Alabama," said OU head coach Patty Gasso." They're a 
great team and had a great crowd. It is very difficult to get things 
done here. It is what it is. Their players were clutch, and that's what 
it is about in the postseason - it's about being clutch. We had 
opportunities. Lauren (Chamberlain) stepped up big time for us as she 
always does. We had opportunities with bases loaded and had other 
opportunities. We just didn't get timely hits. They deserved it, they 
earned it and I congratulate them. We gave it all we had - it's all left 
on that field right now."
 
For her OU career, Chamberlain played 220 games, going to bat 607 times 
with 240 hits for a career BA of .399. She scored 272 runs, fifth best 
all-time in Division One, and drove in 254 runs, which is ninth best 
all-time. She had 42 doubles, eight triples and of course the 95 homers. 
She had 583 total bases and only struck out 92 times in those 220 games.
She was a team leader in every sense of the word and as Lauren went so 
did the Sooners.
 
She was part of a class that was the most successful in OU history, 
compiling a record of 211-36 (.854),winning four straight Big 12 titles, 
winning a national title and placing runner-up and going to three 
College World Series.It's a shame that there wasn't a fourth straight 
berth as OU and Alabama both deserved to be in the World Series.
 
There will be other seasons and other OU wins but Lauren Chamberlain has 
left a legacy that will be difficult to equal let alone surpass as she 
deserved the recognition as one of the "best ever" to play Division One 
college softball. The results speak for themselves.
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