As the UCLA softball team’s longest road trip of the year nears a close, something important has been learned ““ the team can count on its veteran leadership.
In all three games this weekend, key leaders on the team delivered solid performances, namely Anjelica Selden, Lisa Dodd and Tara Henry.
After a close 6-4 loss to the No. 16 Stanford Cardinal (29-13, 5-7 Pac-10) in a Friday night game at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium, the No. 12 Bruins (30-12, 6-5) rebounded to best Cal (26-26, 2-10) 11-0 on Saturday and 5-3 on Sunday.
“It’s always great to win on the road; more wins than losses are always an advantage,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said in regard to the Bruins’ two-week road trip. “(The win) gives us great momentum for the second round of Pac-10 (play).”
In Friday’s game, Stanford scored early, and the Bruins played catch-up. Despite one of the Bruins’ strongest hitters, Krista Colburn, going 4-for-5 at bat, they ultimately came up short.
Against Cal, however, the Bruins played the type of softball they are known for: solid pitching, and even more solid batting.
With a Selden shutout and two Dodd home runs, the Bruins brought their road trip record to 4-2.
“It’s more than just individual play ““ it’s teamwork,” Inouye-Perez said. “Give credit to the players; they have the ability to move runners and they know how to set it up for hitters behind them. They really buy into team philosophy.”
UCLA star junior pitcher Selden showed consistency this weekend after a slump last week. In Saturday’s victory over Cal, Selden struck out five batters and pitched a two-hit shutout.
Even in the Bruins’ loss to Stanford, she still managed to record nine strikeouts.
Pitcher Megan Langenfeld continued her outstanding road play in the circle as well, not allowing a run in the first leg of the road trip in Oregon.
Pac-10 Player of the Week Dodd continued her streak of impressive play stemming from last weekend’s road trip to Oregon, where she blasted her 10th home run of the season. She was dominant this past weekend, going 3-for-3 at bat, including a three-run home run in Saturday’s rout of Cal and a two-run home run Sunday.
Henry, a senior, has also been contributing greatly as of late. In last week’s road trip, Henry batted an impressive 0.625.
And as a member of the Bruins’ senior leadership, Henry lets the freshmen on the team know the importance of closing out the season strong.
“It doesn’t matter where you start,” Henry said. “It’s where you finish.”
The Bruins finish their two-week-long road trip this Wednesday against the No. 13 Washington Huskies and return home to play the Oregon schools this weekend. The April 28 meeting with the Oregon State Beavers is already sold out.