Gauchos looking to throw UCLA a curve
By Brent Boyd
Daily Bruin Contributor
After losing its first game of the year Saturday against
13th-ranked California, the UCLA softball team looks to return to
its winning ways this afternoon. The Bruins head up the coast to
battle UC Santa Barbara today in an nonconference doubleheader vs.
the Gauchos.
The Bruins have dominated the series with the Gauchos throughout
the history of UCLA softball, emerging with an overall advantage of
47-2, including victories in the past six contests. Last season,
the Bruins swept a doubleheader from UCSB by scores of 6-0 and
10-3.
However, the Gauchos should be much improved from a season ago,
when they finished 24-35. With the loss of only two players from
last year’s club, the return of all nine starters and the addition
of four junior college transfers, UCSB should have the ability to
compete against the Bruins much more evenly than a year ago.
"The thing that we will have more of than last year is added
depth," Gaucho head coach Liz Kelly said. "Last year, our problem
was consistency. We could get runners on, but we couldn’t get them
in. This year we have a lot more experience, and we will have more
depth further down in the lineup. We should be threatening
throughout the lineup, which means those runners will get
home."
The Gauchos prime strength is their defense, which is ranked in
the top five nationally. Also strong should be their pitching
staff. Senior Stacy Atwood returns after winning 15 games a year
ago, and the addition junior college All-American Kacie Ontiveros
should give UCSB a solid duo on the mound.
"These games will be a gauge to see where we are against good
teams," Kelly said. "I think it will be a good test for us to see
where we are and what we need to improve on."
The Bruins know that UCSB will be gunning for them, as will
every team that they face for the remainder of the season.
"Every opponent will be gunning for us," UCLA co-head coach Sue
Enquist said. "We carry that national title everywhere we go.
"But we have to learn to focus on ourselves, we can’t worry
about the opponent or the score. The team we really have to worry
about is UCLA."
The Bruins will get a chance to practice this philosophy today
in hopes of beginning a new winning streak. After completing the
doubleheader, the Bruins will return home and prepare for a trip to
Northern California in which they will play in doubleheaders
against both Santa Clara and the University of the Pacific.Comments
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