Softball: Softball inconsistent in losing 3 of 4

With only two weeks left in the regular season, it has become
painfully clear that this year’s UCLA softball team has
developed a dangerous habit.

Twice over the weekend, the Bruins took quick leads. In both
cases, those leads vanished during a disappointing weekend in which
UCLA took just one of four games from Cal and Stanford.

“I felt that we lost our intensity and focus,”
Enquist said. “That’s why we’re a streaky
team.”

In the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against
Stanford, UCLA picked up three runs in the third inning for the
early lead, but surrendered five over the last two innings en route
to the 5-3 loss.

“Early in games, we’re really focused,” coach
Sue Enquist said. “We score runs and then we sit on
them.”

The story was similar on Friday against the Golden Bears. Second
baseman Caitlin Benyi’s two-run blast in the first inning was
the only offense the Bruins mustered on the day. The Bruins managed
just one more hit after the home run during the 3-2 loss.

It was a narrow difference that has been recently common for the
Bruins, who have lost five of their last six games by a total of
seven runs.

“Our record shows that we’re a streaky team, but I
don’t think we’re a streaky team,” Benyi said.
“One or two bounces the other way and we’re right back
into it.”

Those bounces were plentiful in the first game of Sunday’s
double header when the Bruins blanked the Cardinal 8-0. The Bruin
offense notched its eighth run by the fourth inning, while Lisa
Dodd more than did her part by pitching a shutout.

“Dodd had command of her pitches today. She hit her spots,
kept them off balance and was dominant,” Enquist said.
“We just jumped on them and didn’t let up.”

By the second game, they seemed to let up though. Just as the
Bruins were looking to start up another winning streak, pitcher
Anjelica Selden ran into trouble in the top of the sixth inning.
The freshman was carrying a one-hit shutout into that inning, but
gave up a two-run single to Erin Howe with two outs that
jump-started the Cardinal offense. The Cardinals added three runs
in the top of the seventh off of two towering home runs to left
field and the Bruins were unable to answer.

“You can’t go up there with a 3-0 lead like we did
and be comfortable,” Enquist said. “You have to go up
there with a mission. We weren’t fighting for our lives in
the fourth, fifth and sixth innings because we looked up at the
scoreboard and it said that we were winning by three.”

With the three weekend losses, the Bruins (25-15, 6-9 Pac-10)
have just one less loss than their last two championship teams
combined over the last two years.

“We don’t handle losing well,” Benyi said.
“I don’t think any competitive team handles losing
well. But overall, the team is mature about it and it’s all
about who’s going to be there at the end. And I think
we’re going to be there.”

Over the weekend, the only apparent thing was that they’re
there at the beginning.