After Thursday’s game, the UCLA softball team must have
had a sense of déjá vu.
For the third time this season, the top-ranked Bruins (22-0)
defeated No. 25 Long Beach State (17-5) by four runs, winning
5-1.
Like the two previous games against the 49ers, the Bruins’
pitching and power hitting led UCLA to victory.
Senior Claire Sua hit a pair of home runs to left field,
breaking out of an early-season slump.
“It was a great feeling to get a little rhythm
there,” Sua said. “I’ve been waiting for this a
long time.”
Coach Sue Enquist agreed, saying this was the main positive of
the game. She was unhappy, however, with her team’s ability
to adjust to Long Beach State pitcher Meredith Cervenka.
“We just need to work on our hitting IQ,” Enquist
said. “Right now it’s just really low.”
Most opposing teams have developed a scouting report against
this year’s UCLA team: throw change-ups.
Enquist said every team knows this is the best way to pitch
against the Bruins’ power-hitting lineup, but only a few
pitchers can take advantage by throwing change-ups for strikes.
Cervenka had some success, collecting eight strikeouts while
limiting the Bruins to five hits, but the Bruins capitalized on
their opportunities.
The Bruins jumped out to an early-game lead once again, scoring
twice in the first inning on Sua’s first home run.
That would be all the run support senior pitcher Keira Goerl
(13-0) would need, as she only gave up one run, in the bottom of
the sixth inning.