Solid pitching proved to be the key to yet another successful weekend for the No. 1 UCLA softball squad as they improved their record to 35-3 on the season and 7-0 in Pac-10 play.
This is the first time since 2000 that the Bruins have opened the Pac-10 season with such an accomplishment.
“More than ever, this weekend showed our ability to pick each another up,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “It showed our depth and allows each player to realize that if they don’t have their A-game one day, someone is there to pick them up and tag team and do amazing things in the circle.”
Though faced with many threats from the bats of both the No. 7 Stanford Cardinals on Friday and the No. 21 California Golden Bears on Saturday and Sunday, the Bruins were able to pull through on all three occasions with admirable relief from their entire pitching staff.
The Cardinal’s Alissa Haber wasted no time on Friday afternoon, roping a one-run homer over the right field wall in the first inning against Bruin ace pitcher Anjelica Selden. The day would prove to be a shaky one for Selden as she went on to allow four hits and three walks and hit two batters with only two strikeouts in 3 1â„3 innings.
“As an infielder, we just keep reminding our pitchers that they have a solid defense behind them when they are having a bad day,” said junior Amanda Kamekona. “We play with each other every day, so we know how to keep their confidence up and tell them that they don’t have to strike everyone out to get the job done.”
But the Bruins evened it up in the second, taking advantage of an early walk to freshman GiOnna DiSalvatore and an outfield error off of freshman Samantha Camuso’s single to left. After another Cardinal error and walk put junior Jennifer Schroeder and senior Krista Colburn on board to open the third inning, the Bruin bats came through big with a double from Kamekona to score one and a single from DiSalvatorre to take the two-run lead.
Though the Cardinal offense continued to threaten throughout the game, Selden, with relief from sophomore Megan Langenfeld, was able to hold onto the 3-1 lead and take the win. Langenfeld was unyielding in the circle, allowing no runs and striking out four in 3 2/3 innings to improve her 5-0 season record.
“I like having the pressure and having the ball in the middle of the circle when we’re in tough situations,” Langenfeld said. “I’m just trying to focus on getting the defense out of there, throw strikes and get the team back in the dugout, basically.”
Freshman Donna Kerr regained her stride after allowing six runs (three unearned) in Wednesday’s game against Washington by tossing an impressive six no-hit innings against the Golden Bears on Saturday to improve to a 13-1 record on the season.
The Bruin bats pulled through with two hits from freshman Monica Harrison and sophomore Julie Burney to open the second. Cal pitcher Valerie Arioto was unable to find the strike zone, walking three Bruin batters and scoring the only two runs UCLA would need to pull the 2-1 win.
Selden returned to the circle on Sunday to face the Golden Bears again for the third game of the weekend. Even when faced with pressure in almost every inning, Selden stayed composed to pass her 1,300 career strikeout mark with 13 for the day, only allowing five hits and no runs on the Cal side.
After two scoreless innings, the Bruins’ offense took charge in the third when Kamekona drove in a three-run homer over the right field fence to give UCLA the lead.
UCLA went on to a 5-0 win and sole possession of first place in the conference.