The Cal softball team will be watching the Women's College World Series on TV for another year.

Two thousand and nine ended the same as 2008 for the Bears-two losses to No. 1 Florida in the Super Regional.

But as opposed to last year when Cal gave up four runs in each of its losses to the Gators, this year the Bears know that a few timely hits could have put them on the field in Oklahoma City, Okla., instead of on their couches at home.

Coach Diane Ninemire said it after the first loss of the season when her team stranded nine in the 4-3 defeat, and she kept saying it throughout the season: Cal's success depended upon "timely hits" or that "one swing of the bat."

"We weren't consistent at the plate when we had runners on," senior Gina Leomiti said. "We lost so many games because we just couldn't bring them home."

Ninemire tried setting up game-like situations in practice and changing the batting order around to remedy the issue, but the problem continued.

In Cal's 20 losses, the offense stranded an average of 5.85 runners per game, and fourteen of those losses were decided by three runs or less.

It happened against Florida, when the Bears' pitching staff held one of the best offenses in the country to two runs in each game, But Cal's offense couldn't come through, leaving a combined 10 runners on base in the 2-0 and 2-1 losses.

"We needed to do a better job of getting runners in," Valerie Arioto said. "There were times when we would leave twelve or thirteen runners on base, and that's an area we can really improve on this off-season."

If the Bears plan on getting those timely hits, they will need to work on another area that Ninemire emphasized all season-pitch selection.

Although Cal (38-20, 10-10 in the Pac-10) managed to set a program record with 55 home runs, its discipline at the plate was lacking. The Bears drew only 161 walks all season, while striking out 311 times.

Arioto added 36 strikeouts to that total. However, she also managed to draw an impressive 41 walks, which is nearly double her closest teammate's total.

Freshman Jamia Reid led the team in batting average (.361), hits (65) and set a program record for steals (47). But she also led the team in strikeouts, with 44, while garnering only 10 bases on balls.

But the left-handed slap-hitter, who is considered one of the most dangerous base runners in the nation, might have brought her game to new heights if she was more patient at the plate.

That went for the rest of the team as well.

"It is disappointing to know that we could be playing in the World Series right now," Arioto said. "It feels like it was just a few hits away. We never quite got to our peak this season."

This season saw glimpses of potential during Pac-10 play, but the Bears failed to make it an everyday occurance.

Cal took two from then-No. 4 UCLA at home, only to be blown out by a hapless Oregon team the next weekend. Then, the team turned around the following week by stealing two from then-No. 2 Stanford.

The Bears had the potential to beat any team on any given day. They beat defending national champion Arizona State. They squeezed by Danielle Lawrie and a World Series-bound Washington team, the same way they barely beat a Saint Mary's team to whom they had never lost.

But it was that inconsistency that ultimately cost the Bears the chance to play for the national crown, when they were locked-out by the Gators' Stacey Nelson.

"I'm sick of losing to (Florida)," pitcher Marissa Drewrey said. "We were so close to the World Series and we didn't get there again. This is just going to make us work that much harder, so we can finally make it there."

Tags: CAL SOFTBALL, DIANE NINEMIRE