It's the most dramatic moment in softball -- maybe in all of sports. Dana Burns probably dreamed about it growing up on the playgrounds of Phillipsburg. And in the South Florida Classic this weekend, it became reality.

When Burns stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Lions were deadlocked, 4-4, with No. 17 Notre Dame. Then, in the tradition of Mazeroski, Gibson and Carter, she sent an 0-1 pitch screaming out of the park, giving the team a 5-4 win.

"I really just wanted to get a hit," she said. "But it was the first time I ever hit a home run, and I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it."

Although in itself the victory over a ranked team is significant, the real value of the win came on a psychological level. The team was understandably losing confidence after dropping their first nine on the road trip.

"We needed the pressure taken off of us," Burns said. "We had a big weight on our shoulders that we couldn't get rid of. (The win) really gave us some confidence, especially for the younger players."

The Lady Lions were faced with a tough draw in the tournament, falling 6-0 to No. 2 UCLA in their first game. Before being upset, 8-2, by Oklahoma State in the finals, the Bruins were a veritable juggernaut. Although Penn State kept the game close, UCLA pitcher Dee Dee Weiman faced the minimum 21 batters, allowing only one hit and fanning a phenomenal 19 batters.

"I never saw anything like their pitcher," Leigh Bakun said. "It was an amazing experience. We played well, though. We were one of the only teams they didn't 10-run rule down there. After the loss, we almost felt like we won."

The story of the rest of the spring break action for the team was missed opportunities. In losses to seven other teams, including No. 9 Florida State, No. 21 Illinois-Chicago and No. 23 Robert Morris, the team left a staggering 90 runners on base.

"We had the opportunities," Coach Sue Rankin said. "We have to get those runs across the plate. You can't make those kind of mistakes against the teams we played and expect to win."

In addition to her dramatic homer, Burns hit .303 with three RBIs and four runs scored on the road trip. Pitcher Gypsy Gooding (.429, one RBI, one run scored) and shortstop Valerie Serpico (five RBIs, five runs scored) also starred offensively for the Lady Lions.