When the UCLA softball team takes on Washington in a
double-header today at Easton Stadium, the situation will be far
from the norm.
Not only are the No. 1 Bruins (36-4, 8-2 Pac-10) playing two
games in one day in the middle of the week, but when they pick up
the first game at 0-0 in the top of the third inning, they will be
the “road” team. The first game is being resumed from
one postponed two weeks ago in Seattle.
Still, the group of veterans that comprise the team have seen a
lot during their time and will try to approach the games against
No. 14 Washington (29-15, 3-7) just like any other.
“It’s just about having the emotional discipline to
take it one game at a time,” junior shortstop Jodie Legaspi
said. “We just have to stay mentally prepared and focused,
and pick up where we left off last time.”
The Bruins, thanks largely in part to Legaspi, have some
momentum behind them heading into the games against the
Huskies.
After dropping last Friday’s game against Oregon State
2-0, the Bruins rebounded to sweep Oregon on Saturday and Sunday by
scores of 9-3 and 5-2.
Legaspi went 4-7 with two home runs on the weekend and has now
hit three home runs in her last four games to run her team-leading
total to 12.
“I’ve been concentrating on taking a little bit off
my swing,” Legaspi said. “It’s kind of ironic,
but when you have pitchers that throw in the 60s, they provide the
power for you.”
Despite the fact that UCLA was able to savor two out of the
three games over the weekend to increase its Pac-10 lead to two and
a half games and maintain its No. 1 ranking, coach Sue Enquist
wasn’t happy with everything she saw over the weekend. She
had a long talk with the team after Sunday’s game to let them
know that she expected more of them.
“I appreciate the fact that we took two of three, but the
lesson we learned is let’s continue to play as a team … on
the offensive end,” Enquist said. “I felt like we got
away from that a little bit on Sunday, and we just need to regroup.
I think they’re on task right now.”
In the Bruins’ first meeting with Washington two weeks
ago, UCLA won the game with ease. Senior second baseman Caitlin
Benyi went 3-4 with two RBIs and Legaspi hit a home run as the
Bruins cruised to a 6-0 victory.
Sophomore pitcher Anjelica Selden, who threw a complete game
four-hit shutout in the Bruins’ first game against
Washington, will be shooting for her 51st career win when she faces
the Huskies in one of the two games today.
Selden won her 50th career game on Sunday against Oregon,
surpassing DeeDee Weiman at No. 5 on the career strikeout list with
her 747th strikeout in the same game. Selden is now just 14
strikeouts shy of surpassing Amanda Freed at No. 4 on the list and
needs just 38 more strikeouts to pass Lisa Fernandez at No. 3.
At 36-4, UCLA is off to its best start in 40 games since the
2001 season, when the Bruins were 39-1. Last season, through 40
games the Bruins were 25-15.
“We’re more seasoned (this year), more mature. …
We understand the concept of team softball,” Legaspi said.
“We’ve put all of the dynamics together offensively and
defensively. We’re mentally prepared for the latter part of
Pac-10 and on into postseason.”