Strike • Michelle
Turner, top, laughs off a couple
pitches during a double header that
the 49ers swept without any trouble.
Bottom, Turner may be out at first in a
game against UCLA Sunday, but she
pitched the seventh perfect game in
school history Friday. Tracey Roman
/ Online Forty-Niner
Turner pitches perfect game, earns Big West award
By
Kim Oswell
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor
Pitching a perfect game and being named Big West Conference Pitcher of the
Week for the second time this season is all in a day’s work for junior
Michelle Turner. During the game against Mercer Friday, Turner pitched the
seventh perfect game in school history and had a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Turner’s overall season record is 9-5 with a 1.56 ERA with 84 strikeouts.
Softball has been a part of Turner’s life for 17 years and her younger
sister is following in her footsteps as a pitcher for John F. Kennedy High
School, where Turner attended, in La Palma. While at Kennedy High, Turner pitched
123 consecutive scoreless innings in 2002 and her No. 6 jersey was retired.
Turner lives at home with her parents and sister in Buena Park after transferring
back home from UCLA. While she was a Bruin, Turner pitched a no-hitter at Arizona
State in 2003 and finished the year with a 14-0 record and 0.83 ERA. She was
a member of the 2003 and 2004 UCLA National Championship teams.
When she first started playing softball, Turner was brought into pitching because
she was one of the tallest girls on the team.
“I love pitching,” Turner said. “I love to play around with
pitches to the batters.”
Lisa Fernandez, Turner’s pitching coach at UCLA, is one of her role models
because she learned a lot from her about the game.
Peyton Manning is one of Turner’s favorite athletes because of his style
of play and his work ethic on the field.
Turner transferred to Long Beach State with a major in American studies, but
wants to go into coaching someday. After graduation, Turner said playing in
Europe and traveling would be a fun option.
The softball team is very close and Turner said they hang out a lot, which
helps with unity on the field. Turner said she looks forward to watching “The
OC” with the team every Thursday.
Dedication to her team and pitching is very important to Turner and she has
high goals for this year.
“
My goals were to come back and work my butt off,” Turner said. “I
want to help the team win their third consecutive Big West.”
LBSU is currently 12-2 for the season and plays Sunday against Utah Valley
at the softball complex.
“
We have our ups and downs and we need to be more consistent,” Turner
said. “But we are getting better everyday.”-
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