Softball wins five to sweep Long Beach State Invitational

Who said March Madness is limited to just basketball?

The No. 16 Bruins (21-6) found their rhythm after a full slate of wins at this weekend’s Long Beach State Invitational at Mayfair Park in Lakewood. UCLA opened play with a 7-2 win against Southern Utah (10-15) and a 8-0 victory against Eastern Kentucky (6-11).

Day two started off with a scare, as the Bruins took on the Golden Griffins of Canisius (6-6). Red-hot UCLA, who blew out both teams a day earlier, found themselves four-innings deep without any runs. That’s when some personal achievement blossomed out of this weekend’s tournament as well. Four years ago a star recruit for the Bruins, senior center-fielder Tara Henry slugged her first career home run, also the lone score for UCLA in their win over the Golden Griffins.

“I hit it solid, it was great,” Henry said. “I’ve been waiting three years for this. It was just great.”

Head Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez understood the almost slip-up against unknown Canisius, but felt confident regardless.

“Patience is part of our game,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s just the nature of the game. We had runners left on base in every inning, so it isn’t something to worry about.”

UCLA went on to run-rule host Long Beach State (9-14) 12-1 in five innings, while picking up another win Sunday against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (8-8) in the nightcap. In the game versus the Fighting Irish, the Bruins showed off their proper distribution of talent. Five different Bruins scored in the game, and four registered multiple hits.

The most interesting theme of this weekend’s tournament was UCLA’s pitching. While at times inconsistent for the Bruins, Inouye-Perez diversified her choice of starting pitchers throughout the tournament, not electing to use star right-hander Anjelica Selden until the end of the tournament, on both Saturday night against Long Beach State, and on Sunday against Notre Dame.

“I don’t need [Selden] at 100 percent right now,” Inouye-Perez said of her star pitcher. “I need her at her best later, in conference and postseason play.”

CONSISTENT SLUGGERS: While the Bruins’ pitching game is being tweaked to perfection, there have not been any deficiencies behind the bat. Senior shortstop Jodie Legaspi and junior outfielder Krista Colburn have been two of the most consistent hitters for the Bruins’ squad. Legaspi is batting .382, while Colburn is batting an impressive .440.

“They are the heartbeat and life of this team,” Inouye-Perez said. “Lisa Dodd, Jodie Legaspi and Krista Colburn lead this team.”

PAC-10 PLAY:With two solid tournament performances behind them, UCLA is in prime position to compete in the always-difficult Pac-10 conference play.

“Preseason is made to practice for that,” Inouye-Perez said. “We have a lot of momentum going into the second third of our season.”

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