UW Softball Notebook | Delays, detour, layover can't keep father away

OKLAHOMA CITY — While his daughter, Danielle, was about to throw the college game of her life, Russ Lawrie was being told to have his tray table in its upright and locked position.

While Danielle Lawrie was mowing down DePaul hitters, her dad was being admonished not to leave his seat until the aircraft was parked at the gate.

"My kid's pitching her first game in the World Series," Lawrie said here Thursday, "and I'm missing it."

At least Lawrie could laugh a little after the wait was over, because his daughter was not only victorious over the Blue Demons 3-1, she threw a no-hitter.

Delayed by flight problems, the senior Lawrie strode into Hall of Fame Stadium in the bottom of the fifth inning.

"I had heard he wasn't going to be coming because his plane was delayed," Danielle Lawrie said. "It was awesome to see him there. Throwing a no-hitter, for him to see it, it made me proud of having a dad like that."

Russ Lawrie, of Langley, B.C., was supposed to have left Seattle on Wednesday before 8 p.m But plane problems delayed him and forced a detour and overnight stop in Las Vegas.

He didn't get to his hotel room until 2:40 a.m. and had a 4:15 wakeup call for a flight to Phoenix and then on to Oklahoma City.

When he landed, his wife, Cheryl, gave him a phone update from the TV back home — 1-0 DePaul, as the Demons scored on his daughter's throwing error. Shortly after came a new advisory — 2-1 Huskies, after Dena Tyson's two-run homer.

"It's been a very stressful night and a very stressful morning," said Russ. "But now, it's all good."

The color purple

The Northwestern team (51-11) that Washington faces today is sixth-ranked (Washington is No. 11), went to the WCWS final a year ago and features the two-time Big Ten pitcher of the year in 6-foot Eileen Canney, who shut down Arizona State on one hit.

Turns out the Wildcats also pack a strange rallying point. Outside their stadium in suburban Chicago is a life-sized, plastic purple cow. It was brainstormed by sixth-year coach Kate Drohan, with the idea that a purple cow stands out. Hard to argue that.

The theme, explained Canney, is "being extraordinary."

With Canney, a senior from Paradise, Calif., on the mound, the Wildcats haven't allowed more than two runs in a game in their last nine times out, dating to May 3.

"On paper," said UW coach Heather Tarr, "it's our inexperience versus their experience."

The game matches teams with the predominant color purple. Said Canney, "It's going to be cool, looking out in the stands and everyone's wearing purple. Except some of them will be cheering against you."

And what's more ...

• The oddity of a run scored by the loser in a no-hitter was a first in WCWS history.

• Lawrie said the delay call that resulted in a fourth ball and walk to DePaul's Linda Secka was the first time she had been called for that infraction this year.

• DePaul freshman Becca Heteniak struck out the first five Huskies she faced in relief of Tracie Adix.

Thursday's box

PB — Tarulli-Fish (6). Pitches/strikes: Adix 78/43; Heteniak 32/21; Lawrie 98/67. Umpires — HP: Paul Edds. 1B: Bryan Smith. 3B: Jerry Bark. Time — 1:53. A — N/A