In 2021, there was only one intentional walk issued in the WCWS. It’s going out of fashion. Not saying that's wrong, but interesting.
In 2003, Cal’s Veronica Nelson alone drew 11 intentional walks in one WCWS – 7 times w/ the bases empty and twice with a runner at 1st.
In the first round that year, UCLA coach Sue Enquist had the nerve to walk Nelson intentionally to lead off the bottom of the 8th inning of a tie game.
Then in the 10th inning, game still tied, UCLA walked Nelson again leading off the inning. This time, Nelson had to run for herself – to put it gently, speed was not Nelson’s forte – but she scored the winning run. UCLA was sent to the loser’s bracket.
UCLA was not finished, though. The two teams met again in the championship game. Cal was the defending champ, btw. UCLA had Natasha Watley, among others.
So with the national title on the line, UCLA walked Nelson all 3 times she came to bat. Most notably, they walked her to lead off the 7th inning of a tie game. That was a gamble, but Cal also gambled by pinch-running for Nelson for the second time, taking her out of the game. Cal made 9 straight outs from there, the final out in Nelson’s spot, and UCLA won 1-0 in 9 innings.
The number of intentional walks in the WCWS has declined 50% in the past decade, but if you subtract Nelson’s 19 in 3 seasons, I guess it’s not terribly different than before, but still a less common strategy for dealing w/ threatening hitters.
Stacy Nuveman was walked 9 times on purpose in 3 WCWS, but in more obvious situations. The only other player since 1997 to get the Nelson treatment was Kaitlin Cochran of 2008 Arizona State. She was walked 5 times w/ the bases empty and once with a runner at 1st. ASU won the title that year. Jocelyn Alo was walked twice with a runner at 1st in 2018, but no Oklahoma hitters were intentionally walked in 2021.
The legendary Veronica Nelson:
In 2003, Cal’s Veronica Nelson alone drew 11 intentional walks in one WCWS – 7 times w/ the bases empty and twice with a runner at 1st.
In the first round that year, UCLA coach Sue Enquist had the nerve to walk Nelson intentionally to lead off the bottom of the 8th inning of a tie game.
Then in the 10th inning, game still tied, UCLA walked Nelson again leading off the inning. This time, Nelson had to run for herself – to put it gently, speed was not Nelson’s forte – but she scored the winning run. UCLA was sent to the loser’s bracket.
UCLA was not finished, though. The two teams met again in the championship game. Cal was the defending champ, btw. UCLA had Natasha Watley, among others.
So with the national title on the line, UCLA walked Nelson all 3 times she came to bat. Most notably, they walked her to lead off the 7th inning of a tie game. That was a gamble, but Cal also gambled by pinch-running for Nelson for the second time, taking her out of the game. Cal made 9 straight outs from there, the final out in Nelson’s spot, and UCLA won 1-0 in 9 innings.
The number of intentional walks in the WCWS has declined 50% in the past decade, but if you subtract Nelson’s 19 in 3 seasons, I guess it’s not terribly different than before, but still a less common strategy for dealing w/ threatening hitters.
Stacy Nuveman was walked 9 times on purpose in 3 WCWS, but in more obvious situations. The only other player since 1997 to get the Nelson treatment was Kaitlin Cochran of 2008 Arizona State. She was walked 5 times w/ the bases empty and once with a runner at 1st. ASU won the title that year. Jocelyn Alo was walked twice with a runner at 1st in 2018, but no Oklahoma hitters were intentionally walked in 2021.
The legendary Veronica Nelson:
coached by Sue Enquist who has a lot of nerve walking an elite hitter!
