Saturday’s game will be no day at the beach

By Jon Corwin
Daily Bruin Contributor

The UCLA softball team takes their flawless record down the
coast this weekend, as they travel to Long Beach State for a
Saturday doubleheader.

The top-ranked Bruins (16-0) are coming off a sweep of UC
Riverside, and are cruising through non-conference play at a
blistering rate. But Saturday’s twinbill could prove to be a
battle, as the 49ers of Long Beach State (14-4) take a nine-game
winning streak into this weekend’s action.

Long Beach freshman pitcher Meredith Cervenka is coming off a
week that saw her post a 3-0 record with a 0.86 ERA, earning her
Big West conference Player of the Week honors.

LBSU is not backing down from the challenge of facing the No. 1
team in the country.

“We are looking forward to facing one of the best teams in
the country,” LBSU head coach Pete Manarino said.
“Playing a school with such great tradition is something we
use as motivation.”

UCLA aces Amanda Freed (7-0, 0.54 ERA) and Keira Goerl (8-0,
0.30) have been shutting down opponents all year long, each
sporting miniscule ERA’s along with three combined
no-hitters. Toss in the .424 team batting average, and you have a
team that has cruised to wins in its first 16 games of the
season.

“They are a great team, but we will be ready to play on
Saturday,” Manarino said.

The game will be played at Lisa Fernandez Field at Mayfair Park
in Long Beach. Fernandez, a former UCLA All-American and Olympian
is a Long Beach native, and currently an assistant for the
Bruins.

The 49ers are coming off back to back victories over the
University of Hawai’i.