The No. 4 UCLA softball team made a number of changes to its
lineup last week, but much of the Bruins’ recent success is
based on their pitching.
In softball, the team with the best pitching usually wins. Early
on in conference play, that team was not UCLA, and the Bruins lost
four straight games.
Their pitching has improved each week since then, and the Bruins
(31-7, 4-6 Pac-10) have climbed back into the middle of the
conference standings.
“Pitching is such a focal point that when you fall short
in that department, it’s so magnified,” coach Sue
Enquist said.
Over the last few weeks, Enquist has increasingly turned to
senior Keira Goerl to pitch the team out of its slump.
UCLA’s all-time wins leader started two games and came on
as a reliever in the third game last weekend against Cal and
Stanford.
Goerl responded, allowing only two runs in 16 innings of work
against two potent offenses.
She said the main difference has been her mental preparation,
working with coaches and watching more film.
But her coach has also noticed a physical difference between now
and earlier in the season when she struggled for a few weeks.
“She tweaked her wrist; she had some injury issues; she
was fine-tuning a couple of pitches,” Enquist said.
To keep making improvements, Enquist said she needs to give
Goerl more innings. In the postseason, she will again get a
majority of the starts.
After not pitching during fall practice, Goerl has spent the
entire season working her way into peak condition.
“I think my body is in a better place now than in the
beginning of the season,” Goerl said.
“Playing more games will help me be better for the
end.”
While Goerl has been getting most of the innings, she is not the
only quality pitcher on staff. Freshman Lisa Dodd (12-2) has only
allowed five hits in her last two starts.
Sophomore Michelle Turner (1-0) gives the Bruins a third option
although she did not pitch last week, and her playing time may be
limited.
Catcher Emily Zaplatosch said she did not change the way she
called last weekend’s games, and the credit goes to the
pitchers.
“Our pitchers are coming around, and last weekend you saw
what they’re capable of doing,” Zaplatosch said.
“The last few weeks of Pac-10, they’re going to come
out and show us what they can do.”