Defense was the key in No. 2 Arizona’s sweep of No. 1
UCLA.
Errors, along with a slew of defensive mistakes not in the box
score, contributed to all eight of the Wildcats’ runs.
“I’m extremely disappointed in our defense,”
UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “This team needs to have a gut
check.”
In the second inning Sunday, Arizona had runners on first and
third with two outs in a scoreless game. Wildcat coach Mike Candrea
called for a double steal, a risk with two outs.
Catcher Emily Zaplatosch threw high to second base and the throw
back home was wide. The runner at third, Wendy Allen, scored to
give Arizona a 1-0 lead.
“You’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity
you have,” Candrea said. “You can’t just go
base-to-base.”
“It was just a poor throw,” Enquist said. “If
(Zaplatosch) throws a strike and a strike gets thrown back, (Allen)
is out by 12 feet.”
The day’s other main defensive blunder came in the seventh
inning. It was still a 1-0 game with runners on first and second
with no outs.
Arizona’s Courtney Fossatti hit a ball right back to the
pitcher, Keira Goerl, who threw it to third. Third baseman Toria
Auelua bobbled the ball, and was off the base, so all of the
runners were safe.
With the bases loaded in a one-run game, Goerl could no longer
pitch around Lovie Jung, Arizona’s best hitter and one of the
top hitters in the country.
Jung hit a grand slam, giving Arizona a commanding 5-0 lead.
The two hitters after Jung, Jackie Coburn and Mackenzie
Vandergeest, were a combined 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts against
Goerl in the series.
“We failed defensively,” Enquist said.
“Keira’s mistakes cost us. She shouldn’t have to
be perfect.”
To magnify the error, in the last inning UCLA shortstop Natasha
Watley hit a one-run homer, which, had the Bruins gotten out of the
top of the inning without giving up a run, would have tied the
game.
“Our short game in the last inning was huge,”
Candrea said. “A 1-0 ballgame could go either way until the
last out.”
A Bruin error also helped the Wildcats score three in the second
inning in Saturday’s game, which ended 3-0.
One reason the defense was caught on its heels is
Arizona’s unconventional offensive strategy. The Wildcats had
eight hits (out of 13 in two games) that didn’t leave the
infield.
“I wish we were playing them again tomorrow,” Auelua
said. “We feel like we were so close.”