Softball: Softball beats Cal for 1st Pac-10 win

On the heels of a three-game losing streak, the UCLA softball
team headed to the Bay Area looking to earn its first Pac-10
victory. The team finally got it.

The Bruins (20-10, 1-4 Pac-10) split their road games against
No. 3 Cal, falling on Saturday, 2-1, but edging out the Bears on
Sunday, 2-1.

Beaten in a nip-and-tuck contest the day before, the Bruins
showed the resilience that UCLA coach Sue Enquist has been so high
on all season.

In the win, freshman pitcher Anjelica Selden allowed only one
hit and only one run. Selden’s dominance in the circle was
complemented by UCLA’s play in the field, as the Bruins
received key defensive plays from sophomore outfielder Tara Henry
and sophomore shortstop Jodie Legaspi to preserve their slim
lead.

“This team is really enjoyable to coach,” Enquist
said. “They’re motivated, and I couldn’t ask for
more from them in terms of morale.”

The offense was provided by junior catcher Emily Zaplatosch, who
doubled home two runs in the top of the first inning, giving Selden
and the Bruins all the run support they’d need.

“These Bruins are a team that will not be broken,”
Enquist said. “They refuse to be broken.”

That sentiment was not exactly emblematic of the day before, as
the Bruins and Bears were immersed in a classic pitchers’
duel where neither team was able to advance a runner past second
base through three innings.

Cal, however, got the best of Selden on Saturday as the Bears
pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 7th inning on a
fly ball that got by a diving Ashley Herrera.

A little more than past the midpoint in their 2005 campaign, the
Bruins have already lost more games than last season.

“We’re playing a lot of close games; we’re
just not getting timely hitting,” Enquist said.
“Sometimes our defense doesn’t show up.

“Once we start putting everything together, we’ll
start winning ballgames.”

Even though the Bruins lost their first four conference games
before Sunday, Enquist maintains that her young team is still
learning.

“I like how this team is learning and staying
positive,” she said. “On teams with no character, when
you start losing, people start pointing fingers at each other.
There is nothing like that on this team.”

“Everyone takes ownership for their game. Everyone holds
themselves accountable.”

Friday’s game against No. 10 Stanford was cancelled due to
rain, and will be played when the Cardinal visit the Bruins at the
end of the month.