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Bruins roar past Wolverines, taming ‘Cats a tougher task

By Daily Bruin Staff

May 23, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Friday, May 24, 1996

By Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Contributor

COLUMBUS, Ga. ­ Yankees-Dodgers? Nope. Lakers-Celtics? Not
good enough. Cowboys-Redskins? Not even close. Canadians-Bruins?
Can’t even compare.

In recent years the UCLA-Arizona softball rivalry tops them all.
Today, for the sixth year in a row and eighth time in the past nine
seasons, the two softball powers will clash in postseason play. By
virtue of UCLA’s 2-0 victory over Michigan and Arizona’s 5-2 defeat
of Iowa, the two will meet in the second round of the Women’s
College World Series here in Golden Park at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

They have met four times since 1991 in the championship game;
the two other contests eliminated the loser in the semifinals. They
are two giants in a world that is becoming increasingly
competitive.

The Bruins have appeared in 13 previous World Series, while
Arizona has participated in eight. The other six teams here in
Columbus have merely seven combined trips to the championships. Not
a championship has been won by a team other than these two since
1987 ­ five championships for the Bruins, three for
Arizona.

But to get to this point, the Bruins (46-9) had to get past a
tough Michigan squad that had come in winning 22 of its last 25
ballgames. Avoiding an opening round collapse similar to what they
experienced in Fullerton during the regionals, UCLA used solid
pitching, great defense and took advantage of some Wolverine errors
to advance in the winner’s bracket.

"We did enough to get the job done," co-head coach Sue Enquist
said. "There were some mistakes, but we need to just focus on the
victory."

Freshman right fielder Christie Ambrosi agreed.

"It wasn’t real pretty, but it just feels good to get a win. It
will give us some confidence for tomorrow and the rest of the
tournament," she said.

Ambrosi shouldn’t need any boost in confidence. After seeing her
average drop more than 30 points to .304 in the last eight games of
the season, she has seen herself break out of her slump in the past
week.

By going 3-for-3 today along with the game-winning RBI, a
bases-loaded single in the second, combined with her grand slam in
the regional semifinals against Cal State Fullerton, she is proving
that she can be counted on when needed.

"I’m feeling a lot more confident up at the plate," Ambrosi
said. "I’m more clear-minded, only thinking about me and the ball,
and that’s it," she said.

It’s a good thing that Ambrosi didn’t share this piece of advice
with Michigan starting pitcher Sara Griffin. The first-team
All-American and national leader in victories (35-6) was more
concerned with the Bruin hitters and umpire’s calls than she was
with her pitching. In fact, this set up UCLA’s only scoring of the
game.

Obviously flustered with the decisions of the umpire, Griffin
walked two batters, hit another and threw a wild pitch in the
process of loading the bases with nobody out in the second. That’s
when Ambrosi capitalized with her single, scoring Alleah Poulson
and giving the Bruins the lead.

"(The umpire) wasn’t calling a lot of my pitches and I got a
little frustrated," Griffin said.

The Wolverine coaching staff had a different take on the
matter.

"We knew we needed to keep the ball away from them, we just
tried too hard to not let them hit the ball," Michigan head coach
Carol Hutchins said.

Michigan (51-13) was able to survive the inning, surrendering
only one more run on a Laurie Fritz fielder’s choice, and getting
out of the inning with only a two-run deficit.

But, the way B’Ann Burns was pitching, they may as well have
been down by 20. Only one Wolverine managed to advance past first
base in the final six innings as Burns four-hit Michigan en route
to her 12th shutout of the season.

"I’m just real pleased to get the win," said the junior ace who
is now 30-6 this year. "I feel good about the situation right now.
They hit a few balls pretty hard but luckily they were right at
people."

Although facing the prospect of losing to the Wildcats for the
fifth consecutive time this season, Burns said she is not
worried.

"We have put the past behind us, it’s a whole new game," she
said. "We can’t let our emotion interfere with our
performance."

By virtue of their win, the Bruins helped complete a four-game
Pacific 10 sweep in the first round of the Series ­ the first
time in World Series history that a conference has done so. In
addition to the victories of UCLA and Arizona, Washington defeated
Princeton 7-1 and California upset Southwestern Louisiana 2-0.

A victory over Arizona leaves UCLA one game away from the
championship game, while a loss sends them to the loser’s bracket
and a much tougher road to the final. The Bruins would need to beat
either Princeton or Southwestern Louisiana tomorrow and defeat the
Washington-California victor twice on Sunday to reach the title
game.

ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin

Junior pitcher B’Ann Burns four-hit Michigan en route to a 2-0
softball win.

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