Facing its biggest test of the season, the UCLA softball team
withered under pressure. A series of defensive miscues by the
Bruins allowed Arizona to dominate collegiate softball’s biggest
rivalry, sweeping a two-game series over the weekend at Easton
Stadium for the first time since 1998.
UCLA’s sloppy play in the field and pitcher Keira
Goerl’s uncharacteristic mistakes resulted in the first
two-game sweep at home by Arizona since 1998, a year when the
Bruins finished 18-27.
The trouble for UCLA (32-4, 4-2 Pac-10) in Saturday’s game
against Arizona (37-3, 6-0) started in the second inning.
With one out, Goerl walked Arizona designated player Wendy
Allen. The next batter, Lisha Ribellia hit a high chopper to
first.
Tairia Mims gloved it, but could not handle it, leaving runners
on first and second. Shelly Schultz, the next batter, singled to
right field, scoring Allen. Schultz moved to second base on the
throw home, Ribellia moved to third.
Center fielder Crystal Farley laid down a perfect bunt single,
scoring Ribellia and advancing Schultz to third base. The scoring
ended when the next batter, left fielder Autumn Champion hit a
bloop single down the left field line, hitting the chalk of the
foul line and scoring Schultz.
Freshman pitcher Alicia Hollowell took over from there only
giving up one hit in a complete game performance as the Wildcats
beat the Bruins 3-0.
On Sunday, the Bruins looked for revenge but played even worse
than they did on Saturday.
Once again the second inning provided trouble for the Bruins and
once again it was Allen and the bottom of the lineup doing the
damage.
Allen singled to right field and one batter later, Schultz
singled, advancing Allen to third base. With two out and Champion
at the plate, Arizona coach Mike Candrea called a double steal.
Schultz ran halfway to second base, UCLA catcher Emily Zaplatosch
threw high to second base, Allen broke for home and beat Monique
Mejia’s throw home.
“If (Zaplatosch) throws a strike and (Mejia) throws one
back, (Allen’s) out by twelve feet, but you are dealing with
a smart team, a smart coach, and (Candrea) was going to test if the
freshman could throw a strike and she didn’t,” Enquist
said angrily.
Hollowell (24-2) was able to avoid trouble all day long as
Arizona’s defense saved her on many occasions. By contrast,
Goerl (22-4) pitched almost as well as Hollowell over the weekend,
striking out 21 over the two games against Arizona but she had
little support from her defense.
“It (her performance) wasn’t perfect,” an
emotional Goerl said. “I don’t know what to
say.”
In the seventh inning UCLA’s defense once again failed
Goerl. Farley started things off with an infield single and was
quickly followed by a Champion bunt single. Courtney Fossatti hit a
comebacker to Goerl who threw to third baseman Toria Auelua trying
to force Farley at third but Auelua dropped the ball, loading the
bases.
“The word of the day with two syllables is defense. It was
a ball that was literally thrown right at the target and (Auelua)
just missed it. It is core fundamentals which we are lacking right
now,” Enquist said.
Goerl was then forced to pitch to Arizona’s best hitter,
shortstop Lovie Jung, who hit a rocket over the left field
scoreboard for a grand slam, making the score 5-0 and putting the
game out of reach.
In the bottom of the seventh shortstop Natasha Watley hit a solo
home run with two outs to complete the scoring as UCLA lost
5-1.
On Friday, the Bruins beat No.12 Arizona State 6-0.