Softball sweeps Gauchos despite inconsistent performance

Softball sweeps Gauchos despite inconsistent performance

Freshman Adams steals show; pitcher

has third shutout

By Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Contributor

After a sluggish start, the UCLA softball team put on an
explosive offensive display to sweep UC Santa Barbara in a
nonconference doubleheader Tuesday.

The Bruins improved their season record to 7-1, after defeating
the Gauchos by scores of 1-0 and 12-0.

UCLA struggled to even put a mark on the scoreboard in the
opener. The Bruins threatened in the early innings, leaving runners
in scoring position three times prior to the fifth inning. It was
then that the only run of the game was scored when freshman third
baseman Julie Adams chose an opportune time to hit the first
homerun of her collegiate career when she drove the ball over the
centerfield wall to give UCLA a 1-0 advantage.

The Bruins were unable to muster any more runs during the
remainder of the game, but the one-run lead was plenty for UCLA as
starting pitcher B’Ann Burns surrendered only three hits en route
to her third shutout of the season, raising her record to 5-1.

"We just didn’t do what we were capable of doing in the first
game,"co-head coach Sue Enquist said. "We hit the ball hard, but
directly at people."

But the Bruins had no trouble finding the holes in game two. In
the first inning, after singles by Ginny Mike-Mitchell and Alleah
Poulson, a walk earned by Christie Ambrosi, and a fielder’s choice,
UCLA held a 1-0 advantage and had the bases loaded. Sophomore
designated player Kim Wuest proceeded to hit the first grand slam
of her career to give the Bruins a 5-0 lead after one inning.

But neither Wuest nor the remainder of the batting lineup were
finished for the day. Wuest led off the third with another homerun,
her fifth of the season, while Julie Adams finished off the
back-to-back homerun display with her second of the afternoon,
finishing the day 3-for-5 along with two RBIs.

The Bruins continued to pile on the runs with three more in the
inning, on a sacrifice fly by Ambrosi and a two-RBI single by
Pac-10 Player of the Week Nicole Odom, giving UCLA a 10-0
advantage.

UCLA added two more in the fourth when Kelly Howard knocked a
bases loaded single to right field and Ambrosi hit a sacrifice fly
to left field, giving the Bruins the final 12-0 victory.

"It was nice to see us generate so many runs in the second game,
after coming out kind of flat in the first," Enquist said. "It was
nice to see the players make adjustments and swing
aggressively."

Meanwhile, Kaci Clark turned in her second consecutive
outstanding pitching performance, shutting out the Gauchos while
scattering only three singles.

Next weekend the Bruins will travel to Northern California to
play consecutive doubleheaders against the Santa Clara Broncos and
the Tigers of the University of Pacific.Comments to
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