Debbie Doom

Debbie Doom (born 1963 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was a former All-American pitcher for, among others, UCLA Bruins and the United States' National Softball Team just prior to the major boom in the sport's popularity both in America and worldwide. She was the singularly most dominant pitcher in softball during her career; among her career highlights was pitching two consecutive perfect games at the 1991 Pan American Games, an unmatched feat. Doom was remarkable for her exceptional fastball and her unusual height (6'5").

University of California–Los Angeles Bruins

UCLA recruited Doom out of Tempe, Arizona, where she played high school ball. The decision would prove fruitful, as Doom's tenure at UCLA was laden with major accomplishments.

On May 3, 1982, Doom set the third best strikeout record for a single game in NCAA history when she stuck out 25 against Cal Poly Pomona. At the time, the record was the highest total and she would match it twice before Michele Granger recorded 26 in 1993.

Most notably, she was the winning pitcher in the inaugural NCAA Women's College World Series Softball Championship game as a freshman, allowing only two hits in 8 innings as her Bruins downed Fresno State 2-0 thanks to a throwing error and sacrifice fly in the 8th inning.

She remains the only pitcher to win three NCAA WCWS softball championships, doing so in 1982, 1984, and 1985. The 1984 championship saw Doom set the ultimate strikeout record for a title game at 15; UCLA Bruin Anjelica Selden would set the record for the new three-games format in 2005 with 13; no one has beaten Doom's tally. Doom is also the only pitcher to strike out 20 players in a single WCWS game, fanning 20 Oklahoma State Cowgirls in 1982. Finally, she is one of only three pitchers (with UCLA's Lisa Fernandez and Cal State-Fullerton's Kathy Van Wyk) to pitch two no-hitters in the same World Series.

Doom was named to the All-American team and the WCWS All-Tournament Team every year from 1982–1985. Additionally, her record of 62 strikeouts in a single WCWS went unsurpassed until 2006, when Alicia Hollowell of Arizona struck out 64 en route to her team's championship. She closed her career with 952 strikeouts.

Recognizing her dominance, the NCAA placed Doom on its All-Decade team in 1991 and its 25th Anniversary NCAA Division I Women's Softball All-Star Team in 2006. UCLA inducted Doom into its athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Professional career

In 1997 at age 34, Doom pitched for the Orlando Wahoos (now the Akron Racers) in Women's Pro Fastpitch (now National Pro Fastpitch). She led the league in ERA (0.42) and opponents' batting average (.153) while also placing in the league's top five in four other pitching categories. She went 3-0 in the championship series against the Virginia Roadsters and was named series MVP.

References

• NY Times article on Pan-American performance
• Doom's Orlando Wahoos profile
• NCAA's Division I 25th Anniversary softball team
• List of UCLA softball accolades
• Article on 20th Anniversary of first NCAA championship game

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Name	Doom, Debbie
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Date of birth	1963
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