Softball: the great divide
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 25, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Softball: the great divide
By Melissa Anderson
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
In what might have been a post-season preview, the No. 2 UCLA
softball team split a doubleheader with third-ranked Fresno State
last weekend in front of the largest crowd ever to watch an NCAA
softball matchup.
Kicking off its season with the opening of the new Bulldog
Diamond, Fresno’s bark was louder than its bite in the opener as
the Bruins cruised to a 4-1 victory behind pitching ace B’Ann
Burns. The junior gave up just seven hits in seven innings to
improve her record to 6-1 on the season.
It was the top of the Bruin line-up which carried UCLA (8-2) to
victory, as the first four batters combined for all six of the
team’s hits in front of the 5,427 Bulldog fans in attendance.
Center fielder Ginny Mike-Mitchell and center fielder Christie
Ambrosi had two hits each, while lead-off hitter Kelly Howard and
first baseman Alleah Poulson each chipped in a hit.
After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Burns held
strong as the Bruins rallied to tie it in the top of the third.
Both Burns and Fresno pitcher Jennifer Clark were near perfect over
the next three innings, until the Bruins broke through with a
three-run rally in the top of the seventh to seal the victory.
With senior Kaci Clark on the mound in the nightcap, UCLA jumped
out to an early 1-0 lead, but FSU answered with two of its own in
the bottom of the first. The Bruins mounted a counter attack in the
top of the second with three runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Looking to extend her winning streak to 13, Clark kept the
Bulldogs quiet over the next four innings. She allowed just five
hits on the afternoon, but gave up eight walks and no strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fifth, FSU (1-1) pulled ahead thanks to senior
center fielder Jennifer Henry’s two-run single to right center
field.
UCLA could muster no runs in the top of the seventh against
Bulldog pitcher Kim Peck and Fresno State picked up its first win
of the year, 5-4.
The Bruins were led offensively in the second game by freshman
left fielder Julie Adams, who was 4-for-4 with a run
scored.Comments to [email protected]
