Thursday, 5/1/97 Bruins look to take out the Dawgs Washington is
No. 3 in hitting, boasts Pac-10 Pitcher of Week
By Melissa Anderson Daily Bruin Staff As the final stretch
approaches, the No. 4 UCLA softball team hopes to find solace in
the confines of Easton Stadium, where the Bruins will host the
final four games of the regular season before the NCAA Regionals
begin May 16. Sixth-ranked Washington (38-10, 11-4 Pac-10) heads to
Westwood this afternoon for a 1 p.m. double header with the the
Bruins, looking to take at least a game from UCLA in order to even
the score a bit. Earlier this month in Seattle, the Bruins split a
pair with the Dawgs, losing a 7-6 battle in the opener after UW
posted five runs in the last inning. UCLA (38-10, 18-6) was able to
save face with a 5-1 win in the nightcap. While UCLA had nearly a
week to rest up and practice after last weekend’s sweep through the
state of Oregon, UW may be feeling the fatigue of playing six games
in five days. That could work to the Bruins’ advantage, especially
with two Bruin starters still on the bench with injuries. Third
baseman Julie Adams continues to be plagued by a nagging left
shoulder injury that will keep her sidelined at least until
mid-May, meaning the sophomore probably won’t see any action until
the post-season begins. In addition, junior Laurie Fritz is
suffering from an injured right shoulder and will not return to
second base until playoff time. Such injuries to key players have
forced others on the UCLA squad to shoulder the burden, and
everyone has stepped up to the task. In Adams’ absence, catcher
Stacey Nuveman and designated player Kim Wuest have alternated at
third, while catcher/center fielder Julie Marshall has moved in to
play second for Fritz. The Huskies are the No. 3 hitting team in
the Pac-10 with a team batting average of .311, and they boast two
of the conference’s hottest hitters with infielders Becky Newbry
and Sara Pickering, hitting .393 and .392, respectively. Washington
is no slouch in the pitching circle either. UW pitcher Jennifer
Spediacci was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week after recording
four wins last week. A freshman out of Fremont, Spediacci blanked
Oregon, 5-0, and Arizona State, 6-0, striking out eight and walking
just three in two shutouts. As one of three pitchers on the team,
Spediacci has led the Huskies to six of their last 10 victoies en
route to a team-leading 0.87 ERA and a 12-2 record. CHARLES
KUO/Daily Bruin Third baseman Julie Adams will be out until mid-May
with a shoulder injury.