Bruins seek redemption in final games

By John Suehiro

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Although the No. 3 UCLA softball team has lost three games in a
row to the No. 1 and 2 teams in the nation, there is a sense of
calm in the clubhouse as the Bruins (36-11-1, 11-7 Pac-10) prepare
to take on the Oregon schools in the final games of the regular
season.

“I think we’ll be all right,” senior Julie
Marshall said after losing 4-1 to top-ranked Washington on
Wednesday. “We just need to re-gather and get some wins to
feel good before going into regionals.”

Sophomore pitcher Amanda Freed also believes UCLA is in a good
position going into postseason play.

“This will be a good weekend for us to get ready for
regionals,” she said.

The Bruins have come back from tough situations before, and this
weekend will give them the opportunity to prove they can do it
again. After this weekend, however, there will be no room for
error.

Therefore, Friday’s matchup with No. 12 Oregon State
(36-17-1, 6-11) and Saturday’s doubleheader with No. 16
Oregon (34-24, 6-12) will be crucial games in that they will give
the Bruins an opportunity to get their offense and defense back on
track after faltering in the past three.

“They’ve done it to themselves,” head coach
Sue Enquist said. “The good thing is they can change it; the
bad thing is they have to live with it.”

The Bruins’ defense, which has been solid all season long,
has also experienced periods of instability. It even committed more
errors (five) than runs scored by the Huskies (four) on
Wednesday.

A similar breakdown on the field occurred in the last meeting
between UCLA and Oregon State, in which the Bruin infield committed
several errors early on. The Beavers were able to capitalize on
those mistakes to take an early lead.

The Bruins responded with eight runs of their own and eventually
won, 8-7. This time around they may not be so successful,
especially since their offense has been struggling at the plate. In
fact, UCLA has only scored two runs in the past 16 innings ““
a significant change from the previous 18 innings, in which they
put 18 runs on the board.

A major factor that Enquist says led to this poor showing at the
plate is the UCLA hitters’ inability to adjust to where the
opposing pitcher is placing the ball.

“They just have to hit the ball where it is
pitched,” Enquist said.

The real test to see if the high-powered UCLA lineup can rebound
from a few bad games will be when they go up against Oregon
State’s Tarrah Beyster and Oregon’s Connie McMurren.
Both pitchers are among the best in the Pac-10 and have been
effective against the Bruins in the past.

Last weekend, Beyster surrendered three runs in two complete
game losses, while McMurren also pitched two complete games,
yielding no earned runs and picking up a win against No. 9
California on Sunday.

McMurren’s strong outing also helped Oregon end a six-game
losing streak.

Oregon State, on the other hand, has lost its past three games
and, like the Bruins, has been struggling to put runs on the board.
Against No. 10 Stanford and California, they scored just one
run.

The final homestand of the regular season will also feature
Senior Day on Saturday. Marshall, second baseman Lyndsey Klein and
third baseman Julie Adams will be honored for their achievements in
UCLA softball.

The NCAA will also announce the 48 teams and regional sites for
the 2000 Division I Women’s College World Series on Sunday.
The selection show will air live at 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports West
2.