CONTROVERSIAL HARDING PLAYS U.S. TODAY.Byline: Daily News Wire Services When the U.S. plays Australia today, one of the Aussie players will be almost as well-known to softball fans as the Yanks. Tanya Harding Tanya Harding (born January 23, 1972 in Brisbane) is an Australian softball player, who has competed for Australia at the three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. led UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX to the 1995 College World Series title, then immediately left school and returned to Australia to train with her nation's Olympic team. She was 4-0 in the tournament, batted .500 and was named Most Valuable Player. Critics charged that the school had brought her in at midseason as a ringer, a ``hired gun hired gun Forensic medicine A popular term for a physician, lawyer or other highly paid expert who is not a regular employee of a particular enterprise, whose services are paid only as long as necessary; the term is an analogy from the use of mercenaries to fight .'' Harding, a 24-year-old pitcher and utility player, refuses to discuss the UCLA flap. ``It's in the past,'' she said. ``I'm here for a different reason.'' Australia is 3-2 in the tournament, with Harding picking up a victory in relief against Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei (Traditional Chinese: 中華臺北; Simplified Chinese: 中华台北; Hanyu Pinyin: . She has allowed no runs and two hits in 5-2/3 innings but is only 1 for 9 as a batter. Harding did not play Thursday in a 10-0 win over Japan. U.S. star Lisa Fernandez Lisa Fernandez (born February 22, 1971, in New York City) is a renowned softball pitcher of Cuban-Puerto Rican descent who established an Olympic record in softball with 25 strikeouts as a member of the United States Women Olympic Softball Team. , who led UCLA to two college titles, said people don't completely understand the Harding situation. Fernandez, who left college before Harding arrived, said she knew that the school had been in contact with Harding long before she decided to attend. The Australian joined the team in midseason, Fernandez said, because UCLA operates on a quarter system and the season already was under way when she could enroll. ``I think it was a great experience for her,'' Fernandez said. U.S. shortstop Dot Richardson Dorothy ("Dot") Gay Richardson (born September 22, 1961 in Orlando, Florida) is a former international softball player. She used to play on the sidelines at her brothers' baseball games. , who graduated from UCLA in the early 1980s and is a Sherman Oaks resident, also defended Harding. ``It was a great opportunity for her,'' Richardson said. ``She saw the opportunity, and she went for it.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: TANYA HARDING: Ex-UCLA `hired gun' is defended by Am ericans |
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