Softball: Softball takes on No. 1 Arizona
By Taylor Brown
May 13, 2004 9:00 p.m.
It’s better to be the team that’s above all others.
To be the team that everyone else is trying to shoot down.
When UCLA heads into the final weekend of the regular season at
Easton Stadium against No. 1 Arizona today at 1 p.m, it can
reminisce about the season’s very first series.
The Bruins (36-9, 9-8 Pac-10) were once No. 1 in the nation, but
Arizona (51-3, 15-2) swept them to open up UCLA’s Pac-10
schedule during the first weekend of April.
Arizona, the top team in the nation and the Pac-10, poses the
biggest challenge to UCLA as an opponent. But for the Bruins, they
believe everything is on their shoulders.
“The ultimate challenge is us coming together as a
team,” senior Stephanie Ramos said. “As long as we play
our cards right and we do what we need to do, we can beat anybody
out there.
“We played Arizona tough; we know we can beat
them.”
This time around, it will be the Bruins that will be trying to
shoot down the top squad. And the Bruins are playing much better
softball than they were when they were the top-ranked team in the
nation.
But one thing the Bruins hope that remains the same is their
ability to hit Arizona’s ace Alicia Hollowell. The Bruins
scored nine runs in two games off of Hollowell in their previous
matchups, which Arizona won in come-from-behind fashion.
“Offensively off of her this year, it’s our pitch
discipline,” coach Sue Enquist said. “What I love about
it is, we’re constantly telling our team that if you stay in
the zone you’ll get a good payoff.”
The difference heading into this weekend is that the defense has
vastly improved and senior Keira Goerl is on top of her game. Goerl
has not given up over two runs for nearly a month.
After their contest against Arizona today, the Bruins will
finish up their regular season before the postseason begins on
Saturday against Arizona State in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3
p.m.
Saturday will be Senior Day since the seniors ““ Ramos,
Goerl, Claire Sua, Amanda Simpson and Julie Hoshizaki ““ will
play their final regular season home games of their UCLA
careers.
“As a senior, you try really hard not to get caught up in
the emotions. It is sad, but it’s been four years and
it’s time,” Sua said. “It’s exciting to
know that you can go out in your last game and be home in
front of the home fans and leave it out on the field.”
This weekend carries a large amount of significance for the
seniors. But the Bruins, who have not lost this many Pac-10 games
since 1998 when UCLA held an 8-18 conference record, need to end
the season on a positive note heading into the postseason.
The Bruins will close the season with the same lineup they used
last weekend against Stanford. Enquist moved Caitlin Benyi, who was
named both Pac-10 Player of the Week and NFCA National Player of
the Week, back into the leadoff spot.
Benyi has clearly been the top hitter for UCLA this year,
leading the team in average (.380), home runs (18), runs (39),
doubles (11), RBI (32), and slugging percentage (.832).
Although Benyi is UCLA’s leading power presence, the
Bruins are content with the changes that have been made.
“Whatever makes us win,” Sua said. “If that
means I have to hit nine, then OK, I’m there. Whatever helps
us get the W is important.”
While Benyi earned her honors, sophomore Andrea Duran was named
to the Academic All-America District 8 University Division Softball
Team.
