By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
[email protected]
OKLAHOMA CITY “”mdash; Softball players are not built tough.
They’re students, sometimes seniors.
They hurt, they cry.
They laugh, they smile.
Sometimes they do all four.
Amanda Freed and Stacey Nuveman were overwhelmed Saturday after
their final game in UCLA uniforms ended with a loss.
Susan Nuveman had tears in her eyes, in every way mirroring her
daughter.
Freed struggled to get through the postgame press conference, at
times using her trademark smile in order to compose herself before
speaking.
After all, their resume, though not tarnished, was somewhat
incomplete.
“It hurts to go out,” Nuveman said. “Any time
you go out as a loser, no matter whether it’s the first game
or the last game of the series. Just knowing that’s it is
pretty final stuff.”
It was not supposed to be like this. The pair of seniors was
meant for glory, with the focus all year on winning their second
title together, the first coming in 1999.
Nuveman is the owner of various NCAA hitting records, including
the career homerun mark of 90. Freed is UCLA’s all-time
pitching wins leader, with 97.
But there will not be another May spent in Oklahoma City, at
least not on the field of play.
And that is not a bad thing.
They are students and seniors at that.
The scars will heal with time. Regrets are likely to exist, but
again, that is not a bad thing.
“There’s too many good things that you get out of
four years,” Freed said.
“This was one game, so there’s plenty of other
things to …”
“… hold on to,” Nuveman finished, after her
teammate was forced to take another pause.
It is obvious Sue Enquist, their coach, loves them ““
almost to a fault.
Saturday was tough day for Enquist. Though not exactly a tyrant,
she pushes her players to extremes. But she also protects them, and
it hurt to see them in pain.
Enquist did not build them for this. She expected them to
win.
“I’m disappointed for the kids, especially the
seniors, knowing they don’t get another opportunity,”
Enquist said.
The loss marked the end of their collegiate careers, but it is
hard to believe Freed and Nuveman will not be a part of UCLA
softball, in one way or another, for years to come.
“You’re a Bruin for life, and that’s
definitely true for me,” Nuveman said.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t go out our last
year the way we hoped we would, but that doesn’t take away
anything from the career I’ve personally had.
“The life experience is beyond winning and losing, and
that’s the most important thing in the end.”
Moments later Nuveman and Freed embraced. The two of them shared
a hug, some tears and the occasional smile.