Even though South Florida came into the Super Regionals as a
heavy underdog against top-seeded UCLA, both games were played very
evenly.
What separated the Bulls from an improbable upset they had
envisioned and the two losses they endured was an inability to
execute with runners on base against UCLA pitcher Anjelica
Selden.
The Bulls were just 1-18 and struck out eight times with runners
in scoring position for the weekend, subsequently scoring just one
run in the two games.
Ironically, the one run South Florida did score came on a
meaningless RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh
inning of the final game.
“Any time you’re leaving runners in scoring position
early in the game against a quality pitcher like Selden and a
quality team like UCLA you want to take advantage of
opportunities,” South Florida coach Ken Eriksen said.
“I think some people may have been putting a little extra
pressure on themselves.”
Selden has built a reputation as a pitcher who gets herself into
and out of trouble. Her games against South Florida were no
exception.
In game one on Saturday, the sophomore allowed the first two
Bull hitters to reach base in both the first and second innings and
allowed the first three to reach base in the sixth inning.
But Selden quickly contained the damage in each situation and
somehow came out unscathed each time, finishing game one with a
complete-game shutout.
In game two, the first two hitters reached base in the first
inning against Selden once again, but the Bulls failed to cash in
until the seventh inning.
“I feel like I am pretty comfortable in (pressure)
situations because I’ve been in them often,” Selden
said. “I just keep my routine, don’t try to speed up
the game ““ a lot of positive self talk. I don’t really
like to think about the runners.”
TENSION MOUNTS: Whenever a team struggles the
way South Florida did against the Bruins, frustration can
mount.
In Sunday’s game, the Bulls’ frustration appeared to
show in two different incidents.
After Bruin senior third baseman Andrea Duran led off the top of
the fifth inning with a triple, Krista Colburn grounded out to Bull
freshman first baseman Ashley Bullion, who tagged Colburn for the
out. After Colburn stood in front of her for a moment, Bullion
shoved Colburn out of the way, drawing a look of disbelief and a
slow walk back to the dugout from Colburn.
Then, with two out and no one on in the bottom of the sixth
inning, Bull senior third baseman Krista Holle grounded out to
third. As she ran by Bruin junior first baseman Lisa Dodd, Holle
stuck out her left hand, striking Dodd in the face. Dodd gave a
disgusted look back at Holle before putting it aside and trotting
off the field.
After taking time to converse among themselves and both coaches
in between innings, the umpires allowed Holle to stay in the
game.
“You just have some extremely competitive ballplayers. …
I don’t think you need to read anything into it,” UCLA
coach Sue Enquist said. “That happens ““ they’re
fighters and they know they’re in it. I’m not defending
them, but I’m just saying, it’s the heat of the moment
and we have to be emotionally disciplined not to get into their
moment.”
Eriksen thought Dodd crowded first base on the play in the sixth
inning and did not think his players were at fault for the
incidents.
“This team right here is probably the classiest team
I’ve ever coached,” Eriksen said.