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As UCLA softball freshman Danielle Peterson sat on the bench during Saturday afternoon’s game, she knew she wanted to help her team, but didn’t know if an opportunity would be afforded to her. The seldom-used pinch hitter hadn’t received much playing time for the UCLA softball team, entering Saturday with only one hit in eight at-bats for the year. But as the nip-and-tuck contest went into the late innings, Peterson would go into the bullpen to swing a bat, keeping loose just in case that chance came. Peterson was given her opportunity in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the NCAA Super Regionals on Saturday against Georgia, when she was called on to pinch hit with the game tied at 4-4 and a runner on second base. And in UCLA’s most important at-bat of the season up to that point, Peterson delivered, smacking an RBI double, only the second hit of her career, to give the Bruins the lead. UCLA held on for a 5-4 win and would win Game 3 later that night to advance to the Women’s College World Series, where the team will face second-seeded California in its first game on Thursday. “Are you kidding? Of course that’s the very top moment of my career,” Peterson said. “I was so excited. I was just praying it would happen.” As Peterson strode onto second base, she pointed toward the dugout and good friend Anjelica Selden, yelling, “That one is for you.” Peterson’s double officially got Selden, who had allowed four runs early in the game, off the hook. “That pumped me up,” Selden said. “It gave me a lot of energy.” “That wasn’t just for her,” Peterson said. “It was for everyone on the team and in that dugout.” Because UCLA coach Sue Enquist seldom uses more than one pinch hitter in a game, Peterson rarely found opportunities to be put into the game. But since no Bruin had shone in the pinch-hitting role all season long, and with Enquist being very impressed with Peterson’s work ethic toward the end of the year, the freshman became UCLA’s main pinch hitter in the last week of the season. Though she went 0-for-3 in the NCAA Regionals, Peterson worked the count in each at-bat, narrowly missing doubles down the line by inches. “She doesn’t know fear,” Enquist said. “She can wear down a pitcher. She had so many good at-bats last weekend but finally got something to show for it. The game paid her back.”

SPEED DEMON: Another freshman who made her first big impact for the Bruins on Saturday was pinch runner Danesha Adams. While Adams was standing on second base in the sixth inning of Game 2 with the Bruins down 4-3 and one out, teammate Ashley Herrera hit a ground ball to the shortstop. The traditional rule in softball for a runner on second is to not advance on a ground ball hit on the left side of the infield. But it was a relatively slow grounder, and the speedy Adams decided to take a chance and run to third. A bad throw by Georgia shortstop Katie Vickers meant not only that Adams was safe at third, but that she could run home and score the tying run. “Speed kills,” Enquist said. “She went for it. You’ve got to tip your cap to her. She has great instincts.” Adams, who is also a starting forward on the women’s soccer team, just joined the team three weeks ago, and has been used as the second pinch runner off the bench after Alissa Eno. The run was Adams’ first as a Bruin.