Unafraid, Bruins enter fifth doubleheader

  EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Sophomore shortstop
Natasha Watley will be on hand as the Bruins meet
Long Beach State in their fifth doubleheader of the season.
SOFTBALL vs. Softball Today 1
P.M. Easton Stadium

By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Contributor

Doubleheaders are nothing new in softball, and the Bruins can
certainly attest to that.

So far this season, top-ranked UCLA (9-0) has played all of its
games in just four days “”mdash; three games on Feb. 3, two on Feb.
4, two on Feb. 7 and two more on Feb. 10.

Different teams take different approaches to a 14-inning day,
and the Bruins pride themselves on being mentally prepared for both
of the games.

UCLA has outscored opponents 48-5 in the second game of a
doubleheader, constantly receiving production from every part of
the lineup.

“This team has showed me a lot in their ability to remain
focused,” Bruin head coach Sue Enquist said.

And today, when No. 22 Long Beach State (4-4) enters Easton
Stadium, UCLA will once again partake in a doubleheader. First
pitch, weather permitting, is scheduled for 1 p.m.

“Long Beach is a club that is capable of doing a lot of
good things.” Enquist said. “They’re a team that
will be waiting to get at us and we just have to stick with our
game plan and play to our brand of softball.”

Last season, UCLA beat Long Beach State twice, including a 10-4
victory at the NCAA Regionals played in Westwood.

These two teams constantly play each other, so 49ers head coach
Pete Manarino knows what to expect. He will approach the game one
inning at a time and rely on his team’s pitching and
top-notch defense to keep Long Beach State within striking
distance.

“We look forward to playing UCLA year in and year
out,” Manarino said. “My philosophy is that you have to
play the best to see where your program is at and go from
there.”

The Bruins are coming off a week where they outscored opponents
by a whopping 39-3 margin in four games. The team has a .384
batting average for the season and has four players who are hitting
over .400.

Good pitching performances from Long Beach State freshman
Lindsey Knoff (3-0) and senior Traci Hensel (0-3) are a necessity,
since the 49ers’ offense has been struggling lately. Kelly
Nasrawi will be the first one out of the bullpen in case the potent
Bruin offense strikes.