Softball: Undefeated softball team ready for first home game

After kicking off the season with 13 straight victories outside
Westwood, the women’s softball team finally gets a
well-deserved homecoming.

But for a team that has outscored its opponents 78-12 this
season, the Bruins are hardly in desperate need of catching a break
in their schedule.

The Bruins remain No. 1 in the nation after a successful 4-0
weekend, beating Baylor, Tennessee, Northwestern and Penn State in
the 2004 Palm Springs Classic.

The workload this weekend will be a bit lighter as UCLA will
face UC Santa Barbara (11-8) in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday at Easton Stadium.

The Bruins will then host Long Beach State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
UCLA already defeated the 49ers (10-3) on Feb. 8 with a score of
5-1.

But UCLA cannot take any opponent lightly at this point. While
holding tight to their position as the top team in the nation, the
Bruins are being targeted by all challengers who would like nothing
more than to knock off the undefeated defending national
champions.

Long Beach State, in particular, is a team that UCLA cannot
afford to underestimate. The 49ers upset No. 4 Washington last
Friday 1-0.

But as far as the Bruins are concerned, it’s business as
usual this weekend.

“It’s the same old thing,” senior outfielder
Stephanie Ramos said. “You never know who’s going to
beat you; you can get beaten on any given day. You just have to
take on everybody the same.”

Although these games will be the first at home for eight
freshmen, the young Bruins see this as just more opportunities to
win more games.

“It’s a little bit extra being at home with people
you know in the stands,” said freshman pitcher Lisa Dodd, who
added that she doesn’t think this weekend’s games are
any different in regard to the team’s approach.

Indeed, the squad has been doling out the same, consistent
effort all season long. Four Bruin hitters are hitting .351 or
better, and the team has combined for 24 home runs.

The pitching staff has also been phenomenal, led by senior ace
Keira Goerl (7-0, 0.30 ERA) and Dodd (5-0, 0.44 ERA). Sophomore
Michelle Turner earned her first victory in her first start of the
year against Penn State after returning from off-season shoulder
surgery.

But in UCLA’s 5-1 victory over Northwestern last weekend,
Dodd, playing second base, was fielding a ground ball when it took
a bad hop and hit her in the face. Dodd was unable to practice
Tuesday but was able to return Wednesday.

“Hopefully I’ll be back (this weekend),” Dodd
said. “I feel like I am getting better, but we’ll see
what the coaches say.”