Softball meets Oregon, OSU
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 13, 1995 9:00 p.m.
Softball meets Oregon, OSU
Top-ranked UCLA
to play Pac-10 cellar dwellers on the road
By Rick Pal
With the way the UCLA softball team snatched the top ranking
last weekend through victories over then-No. 1 Arizona and
Sacramento State, a loss to either Oregon or Oregon State this
weekend would probably be a huge letdown.
UCLA (28-2 overall, 11-1 Pac-10) will face the Ducks today in
Eugene, Ore., and then head to Corvallis to face Oregon State on
Saturday. Even though both the Ducks and the Beavers are buried in
the Pac-10 cellar, the Bruins plan to play both as games as if they
were against Arizona, according to co-head coach Sue Enquist.
Regardless, Oregon is no Arizona. Whereas the Bruins hope to
claim a national championship, the Ducks are struggling to clear
the .500 plateau. Oregon’s (13-16, 3-5) play, however, is as
predictable as the weather and they have a track record of rising
to the occasion to stun ranked teams. Just ask then-No.7 Utah and
No.4 Oklahoma State about the Ducks’ potential.
Oregon shortstop Kathy Stahl poses the greatest threat to the
Bruins’ talented rotation of Tanya Harding and B’Ann Burns. Stahl
owns the lead in every hitting category for the Ducks including
home runs (5) and batting average (.412).
Oregon State (11-21, 2-4) hasn’t been as fortunate as the Ducks.
When the Beavers lose, they lose big. The Bruins picked apart OSU
on March 28, shutting them out in both games and outscoring them by
22 runs.
Pitcher/designated hitter Amy Werner has provided all the
thrills for the Beavers. With a 6-10 record and a respectable .341
batting average, Werner would probably need an extraordinary game
on the mound and at the plate to pull off the upset.
However, no one expects an upset, especially with the Bruins
consistent pitching and recent hitting onslaughts. Outfielder Kari
Robinette and first baseman Alleah Poulson have stepped up their
games recently. Against Arizona last week, Poulson picked up five
RBIs and Robinette tagged her first career home run at UCLA.
