In recent years, there’s been something about traveling to
Oregon that has brought out the worst in the UCLA softball
team.
Last year when the Bruins made the trip up north they dropped a
game to Oregon State and were swept by a mediocre Oregon team while
playing some of their worst softball of the season.
Those performances haven’t escaped this year’s team
as the No. 1 Bruins (40-5, 12-3 Pac-10) travel to take on Oregon
(23-22, 3-10) today and No. 5 Oregon State (37-8, 9-5) on Saturday
and Sunday.
“I know it’s on their minds,” UCLA coach Sue
Enquist said. “They do a great job of staying within
themselves, but the Oregon trip is one where I know they want to
play well.”
The Ducks not only beat the Bruins twice in Oregon last year,
but also defeated UCLA at Easton Stadium for a three-game sweep of
the Bruins.
This year, however, UCLA beat up on the Pac-10 cellar dwellers
in their two home games against Oregon by scores of 9-3 and
5-2.
But going up north to face the Ducks has been a different story
entirely for the Bruins no matter where Oregon lies in the
standings.
“Not even just last year, but the whole time I’ve
been here, Oregon hasn’t really been nice to us,”
senior second baseman Caitlin Benyi said. “It’s
important for us to just go at them as if we were playing
here.”
After UCLA faces the Ducks today, the Bruins have a score to
settle with Oregon State.
The No. 5 Beavers have won eight of their last nine games and
are in second place in the Pac-10 standings, 2.5 games behind the
first place Bruins.
When the Beavers faced the Bruins at Easton Stadium two weeks
ago, Oregon State junior pitcher Brianne McGowan was dominant.
McGowan threw a complete game shutout against the Bruins, allowing
just four hits and striking out nine as the Beavers won the game
2-0.
In that game, McGowan was able to get an uncharacteristically
impatient UCLA offense to chase balls out of their hitting
zone.
“For me personally, I wasn’t swinging at strikes
(last time),” Benyi said. “We just kind of came of our
own in that game.”
The Bruins know that if they are to have success this time
around, they will need to be more patient at the plate.
“We just have to make adjustments earlier on in the
game,” senior third baseman Andrea Duran said.
“We’ve hit off of her in the past.”
If the Bruins do manage to sweep the Oregon schools this weekend
or even just take two out of three games, they will lock up at
least a share of the Pac-10 title. This would be a significant
accomplishment considering last year the Bruins ended the season
tied for fifth in the conference.
But given the Bruins’ recent history, they know that
winning two out of three is a task easier said than done.
TOP RECRUIT COMMITS: On Tuesday, the Orange
County Register reported that junior shortstop Monica Harrison of
Pacifica High School verbally committed to UCLA. Harrison, one of
the top infield prospects in the country, is currently hitting .364
with six doubles, three homers and 14 RBI’s.
Current Bruin junior shortstop Jodie Legaspi and former Bruin
Amanda Freed are alumni of Pacifica HS.
Harrison choose the Bruins over Pac-10 rivals Stanford and
Arizona.