Monday, 4/28/97 UCLA road trip turns into sweep of shutout OSU,
Ducks UCLA road trip turns into sweep of shutout OSU, Ducks
By Melissa Anderson Daily Bruin Staff Leaving a trail of dust in
its wake, the UCLA softball team swept through the state of Oregon
last weekend, knocking off Oregon State, 1-0, 4-0, in a Friday
doubleheader and Oregon, 2-0, 8-4, Saturday. The Bruins (38-10,
16-6 Pac-10) got off to a slow start in Game 1 against the Beavers.
The game was scoreless until Alleah Poulson’s RBI double in the
sixth inning. But pitcher B’Ann Burns blanked OSU for the complete
game shutout, allowing just two hits and walking two en route to
her 15th win of the season. In the nightcap, UCLA rushed out of the
gates, putting up a run in the first inning when Julie Marshall
singled to drive in Stacey Nuveman. While Christa Williams took
care of things in the pitching circle, the Bruins put up another
run in the fourth when Kim Wuest belted a solo home run over
left-center field fence. Despite 12 hits on the afternoon, UCLA was
not able to put the game away until the final inning, after the
Beavers (24-23-1, 1-10) committed two costly errors and Marshall
hit her second double of the game. Williams improved to 14-4,
striking out five with just two walks. In Eugene on Saturday, UCLA
struck in the third inning of Game 1 when designated player Johnna
Mike singled to knock in Wuest and then again in the sixth when
freshman Courtney Dale singled home pinch runner Nikki Barbieri.
The Bruins tallied 10 hits in the opener but scored just two runs.
Regardless, Burns recorded the victory, giving up six hits in
another complete game shutout. UCLA built up a 7-0 lead in the
second game, starting with a leadoff double by Christie Ambrosi in
the first that resulted in the game’s first run when she later
scored on a fielder’s choice. Marshall then gave the Bruins a 4-0
lead with a three-run homer to center field, her eighth of the
year. Nuveman made it 5-0 with her 15th longball of the season, a
solo shot in the fifth which broke the UCLA record for home runs in
a season. Later that inning, Williams singled home Poulson – who
was 4-for-7 on the afternoon – and Poulson added a sacrifice fly in
the sixth to score Ambrosi. But the Ducks refused to fold. Oregon
picked up a run in the sixth when senior Angie LeRoy hit an RBI
double and loaded the bases with one out, threatening to get back
in the game. But Williams, a 1996 Olympian, responded by striking
out the next two batters to get the Bruins out of the jam. UCLA
posted an insurance run in the seventh, and a three-run rally by
Oregon in the bottom of the inning was not enough to spoil the
Bruins’ road trip. UCLA Sports Info Alleah Poulson UCLA 1-4, OSU
0-0 UCLA 2-8, Oregon 0-4 Softball