For the first time this season, the UCLA softball team will
enter a series with a two-game losing streak.
A road trip to the last-place schools in the Pac-10 could be
perfect for the Bruins to get back on track.
But not when the last place schools are No. 19 Oregon (20-11,
2-5 Pac-10) and No. 24 Oregon State (25-18, 1-6), two teams with
legitimate postseason hopes.
“Every Pac-10 game is a big struggle,” UCLA first
baseman Tairia Mims said. “We have to play our
best.”
The No. 2 Bruins (32-4, 4-2 Pac-10) are coming off two losses to
No. 1 Arizona where the Wildcats’ aggressive style of
baserunning and infield hits caused the UCLA defense to make
errors.
“We’re working really hard at exposing our
weaknesses and working on them,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said.
“It wasn’t Arizona so much as UCLA not playing UCLA
softball.”
Arizona is one of the few teams that has an arsenal of speedy
contact hitters and great power hitters that has given UCLA
trouble.
The Wildcats have 33 stolen bases so far this year. Oregon, with
26 stolen bases for the season, plays a similar game, relying on
team speed. Oregon State only has two swipes on the season.
“Every team has to play within its strength,” Oregon
coach Kathy Arendsen said.
“We don’t have the same personnel Arizona has. But
we can’t look at the UCLA uniform and think, “˜Wow, Dot
Richardson, Lisa Fernandez, Natasha Watley.'”
Oregon does not have a single player hitting .315 or better or a
hitter with more than two home runs.
The Ducks will likely have to rely on pitcher Amy Harris, who
has compiled an ERA of 1.04 so far this season and has kept Oregon
in games against tougher opponents.
“Amy has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in
the conference,” Arendsen said. “She can put us in a
position to win.”
Oregon State features two potent hitters in Shelly Prochaska
(.382 avg., 8 HR, 40 RBI) and Brynnen Guthrie (.382, 5, 21).
However, Guthrie and Monica Hoffman, Oregon State’s main
pitchers, both developed food poisoning during this past
weekend’s road trip to the Bay Area. Neither player started
this past weekend.
“Both of them have been getting better,” Oregon
State coach Kirk Walker said. “They’ve been recovering
well, and hopefully, they’ll be able to compete this
weekend.”
Both teams probably feel out of place at home. Between them,
they have played three home games this year out of 74 due to
preseason tournaments.