Monday, February 10, 1997
SOFTBALL:
Bruins fail
to take advantage of key scoring opportunitiesBy Melissa
Anderson
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA softball team was thrown a curve this weekend in the
form of two losses to Fresno State University.
Prior to Saturday’s 4-3, 4-2 double-header sweep, the Bruins
(4-2) had yet to give up a run in four games. Freshman pitchers
Christa Williams and Courtney Dale had been nearly flawless in
their previous two outings, and it appeared as if Bruin opponents
might be in for a long year.
Enter the Bulldogs.
UCLA knew going in that Fresno (2-0) would provide it with its
toughest challenge of the young season. What the Bruins couldn’t
have predicted was that its greatest strength would be its ultimate
downfall.
"Probably the one area where I thought we were going to be real
strong, we struggled in  on the mound," UCLA head coach Sue
Enquist said. "I was disappointed in our performance in the circle
and disappointed that we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we
had with runners in scoring position."
The Bruins left a total of 13 runners on base, seven in the
opener, and were unable to come through defensively in clutch
situations.
UCLA opened the scoring in the second inning after Fresno State
committed two errors and pitcher Amanda Scott hit Dale with a
pitch. Scott then walked Christie Ambrosi with the bases loaded to
give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
But the Bulldogs struck back in the fourth to take the lead,
2-1, on a two-out RBI single by Brooke Bernardoni.
Errors and unearned runs almost cost Fresno State the game in
the sixth inning when UCLA center fielder Nicole Ochoa reached on
an error by Scott, sending in the go-ahead runs. But Bernardoni
came up big in the bottom of the inning, putting the nail in the
coffin with a double to drive in her third and fourth RBIs of the
game.
With Williams on the mound in the nightcap, the Bruins again
took a 1-0 lead but were unable to hold on as Fresno racked up
eight hits.
"When you’re playing a team like Fresno, you need to play with a
lot of intensity, a lot of confidence, and you can never let up,
but we did that," Enquist said. "Hopefully, a handful of kids will
have a gut check and we’ll come back strong."
UCLA Sports Info
Freshman pitcher Courtney Dale