What Really Wins Softball Championships?

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Offense Wins Games. Defense Wins Championships." But how much do you agree or disagree with that statement for softball.  After all, to win a softball game you need to score runs and softball defenses cannot score.  If your defense cannot score and you need runs to win, is your defense really what wins championships?

So there is some debate about what really wins softball championships.

Often times I hear people say, whoever makes the least amount of mistakes will win.  And yet, in many games I see the team that makes MORE errors win the game.  I see teams with supposedly "weaker" defenses win games.  Then people will say that you need pitching and yet I see teams with "weaker" pitching win as well.  I see teams with pitchers who strike out more than 2 batters per inning lose these games.

So really, what is it?  What wins softball championships? Maybe you need everything?  Maybe things just need to fall into place?

The "team that makes the least amount of errors" concept actually does cover quite a bit of ground because it does refer to all areas of the game.  Less pitching errors, defensive errors, baserunning errors, etc, etc, etc.  That sounds pretty good right?  But you know what I think.  I don't think it's the team that makes the least mistakes that comes out on top.  I think it's the team that knows how to keep playing THEIR game at their best is even AFTER mistakes are made.

Some people call that "HEART" - but not just any heart, they've gotta have the heart that is determined no matter what; that has the right attitude in the toughest of situations; that has the right mindset in any circumstance; and the HEART that knows how to keep playing THEIR game at their best is even AFTER mistakes are made. Those teams are usually the ones that end up on the winning side of a game.

What do you think?