A trip to Arizona, one of the toughest places to play in the
country, doesn’t scare the struggling UCLA softball team,
even though the Bruins aren’t exactly playing well these
days. UCLA, which has lost five of its last six games, hasn’t
played well since sweeping three games from Arizona and Arizona
State at Easton Stadium in mid-April. UCLA plays those very two
teams this weekend, with a night game against Arizona on Friday
(ESPN2, 7 p.m.) and a two-game series at Arizona State on Saturday
and Sunday. No. 3 Arizona (34-8, 8-6 Pac-10) is considered the
Bruins’ traditional rival and should be guaranteed a playoff
spot. Arizona State (28-19, 3-12), meanwhile, is on the postseason
bubble. “We know we can beat them, but it’s not like
we’re taking them lightly,” third baseman Andrea Duran
said. “If we can be successful, it’ll be great for our
confidence and give us some momentum.” The Bruins (25-15,
6-9) can certainly use the momentum ““ they have only six
games left during the regular season, two weekends to get out of a
slump and restore hope that they can win their third consecutive
national championship. “I want my team to be more detached
from the wins and losses and be more focused on doing the little
things well,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “When you
focus on getting the win, it can suffocate you, especially during
the playoffs when the pressure gets thick.” The Bruins, while
already having one of the worst regular seasons in UCLA history,
have lost a lot of close games this year ““ 11 of their 15
losses have been by only one run, and three of the other four by
two runs. “We’ve been so close all year,” Enquist
said. “This team keeps fighting every inning. I
couldn’t ask for more.” To prepare for Arizona’s
array of slap hitters, the Bruins have been focusing on their
defensive game this week. Offensively, the UCLA hitters succeeded
against Wildcat ace and All-American Alicia Hollowell when they met
last month, especially catcher Emily Zaplatosch who had nine RBI in
the two games. “It’s always a good weekend when we play
the Arizona schools,” Zaplatosch said. “We need to
focus on our game and do the little things that make up UCLA
softball.”
NOTE: Friday’s UCLA-Arizona game will now be televised on
ESPN2 live at 7 p.m., instead of the originally scheduled
ESPNU.