When the UCLA softball team glanced at this week’s
schedule, Thursday afternoon’s game against Oregon appeared
to be the least of the Bruins’ worries. It just so happens
that the Ducks were more than just worthy competition. Oregon shut
out UCLA, 3-0, ending the Bruins’ three-game winning streak
and halting a two-week stretch where they were getting hits and
scoring runs left and right. Now UCLA (28-16, 9-10 Pac-10) is faced
with the prospect of closing its regular season today (3 p.m.) and
tomorrow (1 p.m.) against Oregon State, who is currently first in
the Pac-10. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t have
timely hitting,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “I know
the kids are so sick of hearing it. But we’ve got to break
through and get some timely hits. We haven’t done that.
We’re playing individual softball, and not just focusing on
getting the RBI.” The Bruins had chances to score early on in
Thursday’s game, but stranded eight runners on base in the
first three innings alone. After the third inning, UCLA
didn’t muster a hit off of Oregon pitcher Amy Harris.
“We weren’t able to make adjustments,” shortstop
Jodie Legaspi said. “We have to learn from this and keep
going. There’s still a lot of softball left to be
played.” Making the postseason was never in doubt heading
into this week, as the Bruins had earned a No. 12 national ranking.
But what might still be in doubt is whether the team can host an
NCAA Sub Regional next weekend. Teams in the top 16 and with a
usable facility are typically given preference to host, and UCLA
has an upgraded facility in Easton Stadium. Having already lost to
Oregon, a win or two against the best team in the conference in
Oregon State would certainly help the Bruins’ chances of
hosting. “We have to go to school the next two days and make
adjustments,” Legaspi said. “We can’t wait until
the late innings to score. We have to take advantage of our
opportunities in the first, second and third innings.” In the
first inning, UCLA stranded Andrea Duran on second base. The Bruins
left the bases loaded in the second inning. And in the third, with
runners on second and third and one out, a fluke groundout which
started out foul led to Emily Zaplatosch being tagged out at third.
Oregon (33-22, 6-13) swept the season series against UCLA for the
first time in history with Thursday’s win and the two wins at
Oregon on April 2. One bright spot for UCLA on Thursday was the
pitching of Anjelica Selden, who threw five perfect innings of
relief and didn’t allow a single hit, walk or baserunner.
Selden came in to relieve Lisa Dodd in the third inning, after Dodd
had given up three runs on two home runs by Oregon’s Beth
Boskovich. Before Thursday, Dodd had pitched five consecutive
quality starts, including three straight shutouts. Her impressive
efforts, combined with Selden’s four losses in her last five
starts, had prompted Enquist to make a rare switch in the order she
uses her two pitchers. Thursday seemed to signal that Selden is
coming out of her slump, and the freshman hopes she can carry
Thursday’s performance through to the rest of the season.
“I’m just getting to be how I was pitching in the
beginning of the season,” Selden said. “I’m not
putting so much pressure on myself and I’m confident in every
pitch I throw.” “My mental mind-set had a lot to do
with the problems I had been having,” Selden said. “I
do better when I don’t think as much.”
SHORT HOPS: Danesha Adams, who had just joined
the team on Tuesday, made her Bruin debut on Thursday,
pinch-running in the third inning. She comes to the softball team
after playing soccer in the fall. … Selden is only 25 strikeouts
short of the UCLA season record of 359, set by DeeDee Weiman in
1994. … The NCAA Tournament draw and regional host sites will be
announced Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNEWS.