Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain Hits Grand Slam To Break NCAA Home Run Record, More Importantly, Is Kind Of A Total Smoke

ESPN – It was only a matter of time.

From the day she first stepped to the plate as a freshman, when it took her all of two at-bats in her first game for the University of Oklahoma to hit a home run, it was only a matter of time until Lauren Chamberlain stood alone.

It was only a matter of time until someone with that mind for hitting, someone who sees a swing as much as a means by which to express herself as a mechanical action, accumulated more home runs than any woman who ever played college softball.

It was lucky number 91 for Lauren Chamberlain when she blasted another homer. This one, a grand slam for the record books.
So it seemed like the pressure of the moment was weighing on Chamberlain in recent weeks, as if arriving on the doorstep of history left her suddenly too shy to knock. Well, it was only a matter of time until she rediscovered what became normal over the past four seasons.

Impressively, fantastically, joyously normal.

No one hit more home runs. But part of Chamberlain’s legacy is that few, if any, in her sport ever stood so easily in so bright a spotlight. Her record is a reflection of how a sport has changed. But so is she a reflection of that truth.

Playing her sixth game since her 90th home run tied former UCLA All-American Stacey Nuveman’s NCAA record, Chamberlain hit a grand slam in the top of the fourth inning of Thursday’s game against North Texas. Home run No. 91 made the record her own.

The record that stood for 13 years was arguably the most recognizable and meaningful offensive milestone in the sport because of both the innate allure of home runs and the stature of the record holder. And even after a wait for the record breaker, six game in which Chamberlain drew 12 walks and was hit by a pitch, she broke it despite playing fewer games than any of the next 17 players on the list.

…

Huge congrats to Lauren Chamberlain, 91 homers is no joke, and in fewer games than anyone else on the record list? Big time stuff. Capping it off with a grand slam is a total power move also, nice exclamation point on a monster career. And they say we don’t give credit to women’s sports around here, that we’re all just a bunch of misogynists, ha. Just put up a blog on girl’s softball. You see any other blogs besides ESPN W doing that? No, because they don’t care about women and their athletic accomplishments as much as I do.

Oh hey while we’re at it how about some Instagram pictures?

Got a little Rachel Zane from Suits vibe going on.