Softball hopes Cal Poly remedies recent slump
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 11, 1995 9:00 p.m.
Softball hopes Cal Poly remedies recent slump
Mustangs provide last tune-up before Bruins hit NCAAs
By Rick Pal
The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs come into town on Saturday
for a date with the UCLA softball team. Saturday’s game will be the
Bruins’ last opportunity to fine-tune their game before they roll
into the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 19.
Cal Poly (25-14 overall) will provide a test for the recently
sluggish Bruins, who have dropped four of their last nine games
after beginning the season winning 36 out of their first 38 games.
Despite the recent losses, UCLA (41-6) remains confident in their
play.
"We’re in a really good place despite the fact we fell short
against Washington. I look to see a really strong game on our
behalf," UCLA co-head coach Sue Enquist said. "Were not doing
anything new or fancy at the end of the year."
The Mustangs close out their season on Saturday having completed
the most rigorous part of the schedule. They were swept by No. 3
Cal State Fullerton last Friday and stole one from No. 4 Fresno
State on Sunday. Not bad for a team that only last year was playing
Division II ball.
"UCLA is not going to take Cal Poly too lightly because they
have had some significant wins in the past month which validates
them in our eyes," Enquist said. "They have also beaten some good
teams such as Fresno State."
Cal Poly brings with it arguably the best freshman pitcher in
the country in Desarie Knipfer. Despite a misleading 12-8 record,
Knipfer is ranked in the top five in ERA with her 0.54. She
averages close to seven strikeouts a game and boasts 144 on the
season.
And their other starting pitcher, Kelly Smith, isn’t too bad
either considering she is also a freshman. Currently sporting a
10-4 record and an impressive 1.46 ERA, Smith has struck out 47
batters of her own.
Even though Cal Poly rotates the two freshmen pitching phenoms,
hitting is clearly their achille’s heel. Cal Poly has sent only six
out of the yard and has only two players hitting above .300. In
comparison, UCLA has six batters hitting above the .300
plateau.
"They have had great pitching performances (but you can’t) take
anything away from the players behind them because somebody’s
scoring the runs for them to win," Enquist said.
"We are just going to work on consistency and stay strong
emotionally because we have been inconsistent in the past
week."
