Softball Notebook

Slump buster?

Mired in a 1-for-28 slump during Pac-10 play, sophomore Claire
Sua busted out this weekend against Oregon. In the two games, she
went 3-for-5, including two home runs and four RBI.

Coming off a tremendous year as a freshman when she hit .380
with 10 home runs and 56 RBI, she was one of the team’s
offensive leaders last year, and had ranked highly until the Pac-10
schedule hit.

“I believe in her,” head coach Sue Enquist said.
“She is too good and she will swing her way out of
it.”

As far as the adjustment to being moved down in the order,
Enquist said:

“She is a team player. I have never to worry about Claire
with that that. She has got that part together.”

No place like home

Easton Stadium has been very kind to the Bruins this year. They
are 21-1, with the only loss coming Feb. 27 in the first game of a
doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton.

Starting 2-3 in the Pac-10 after road losses to Washington,
Arizona State and Arizona, the Bruins are 6-0 since arriving back
home.

Aided by a record crowd last Sunday, they swept the Bay Area
schools last weekend and proceeded to do the same to the Oregon
schools this past weekend. The Bruins have one more game at Easton
on Wednesday before they are off again on back-to-back road trips
against the schools they just swept.

The Bruins finish the regular season with three home games
against the Arizona schools, leaving an exciting finish to the
Pac-10 and regular season.

Coming into this season, the Bruins have an all-time .819
winning percentage since Easton opened in 1994.

Marvelous Mejia

Junior second baseman Monique Mejia is quietly enjoying a
tremendous season.

However, she suffered a dislocation and fractured finger on a
successful steal attempt Friday afternoon and will be out for two
to four weeks.

Hitting in the eighth spot in the lineup, Mejia has energized
the bottom of the Bruin lineup in recent weeks. For the year she is
hitting .333 to go along with her 15 steals, which ranks second on
the team.

In recent weeks she has had several key hits and scored the
winning run against No. 3 Stanford on a sacrifice fly in the bottom
of the seventh after leading off the inning with a single.

She has also laid down several key sacrifice bunts including one
in the 10th inning of the Bruin’s 1-0 win over Cal. Mejia
moved the winning run into scoring position.

She has also provided solid defense with only seven errors all
year and has formed a formidable up-the-middle combo with junior
shortstop Natasha Watley.

Senior Crissy Buck will likely fill in at second base.

Compiled by Michael Sneag, Daily Bruin Contributor.