The UCLA softball team was able to put its past struggles in
Oregon behind and play like the top-ranked team in the nation last
weekend.
The Bruins defeated the Oregon Ducks 7-0 on Friday and the
Oregon State Beavers 1-0 on Saturday, before the final game with
the Beavers on Sunday was rained out.
This weekend’s games were very different
stylistically.
On Friday the No. 1 Bruins (42-5, 14-3 Pac-10) took it to the
Ducks (21-21, 3-11), on whom they scored five runs with two outs in
the top of the second inning.
Saturday was a pitchers’ duel, with UCLA junior Lisa Dodd
and sophomore Anjelica Selden combining to shut out the No. 5
Beavers (37-9, 9-6).
“The team did a good job of coming up here and playing
consistently,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “We
clutched up when we needed to. We strung good rallies together on
Friday. And that gave us momentum going into (Saturday).”
Friday’s game began with a bang.
In the bottom of the first, Selden (27-4) struck out Sari-Jane
Jenkins, recording not only the first out of the game but also her
785th career strikeout. With that strikeout, Selden passed former
Bruin and Olympic star Lisa Fernandez on the UCLA career strikeout
list to move into third place.
Selden is now behind only Debbie Doom (952) and Keira Goerl
(1,095).
“I had no idea. I just found out,” Selden said after
the games. “(When I’m out there), I just focus on doing
what I can to help my team win.”
Selden later added that she greatly credits her catcher, senior
Emily Zaplatosch, for helping her succeed.
“She really does a great job,” Selden said.
“I think it’s just a testament of her abilities as a
pitcher,” Enquist said. “Any time you can be mentioned
in the same sentence as Lisa Fernandez, that’s
impressive.”
Selden finished Friday’s game with 11 strikeouts.
In Friday’s second inning, the Bruins sent nine batters to
the plate and scored five runs on four hits, two walks and an
error.
In the sixth, junior outfielders Ashley Herrera and Tara Henry
slapped out a pair of base knocks. They both scored when the next
batter, senior third baseman Andrea Duran, tripled.
Saturday saw Dodd (15-1) starting against Oregon State’s
Ta’Tyana McElroy (14-5).
After the Beavers threatened in the third, Enquist substituted
Selden for Dodd, who retired the threat.
The Bruins scored in the top of the fifth, when Duran doubled
off the center-field wall. She advanced on a pop-out by sophomore
right fielder Krista Colburn and then scored on a single to left by
senior second baseman Caitlin Benyi.
“Dodd and Selden combined for a good pitching outing
(Saturday). We got the runners on and did what we needed to
do,” Enquist said.
Selden said she enjoys the teamwork she finds between herself
and Dodd in the circle.
“It’s nice to know we can have that combination in
those (type of) games and come out and win. It’s good to have
two different pitchers, to give the other team a different
look,” Selden said.
The Bruins travel on short rest to California and Stanford this
weekend to wrap up the regular season.