Monday, February 23, 1998
Bruins falter against tough competition
RECAP No. 17 UCLA troubled in late innings, finishes tournament
2-4
By Rocky Salmon
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
In San Diego last weekend, the UCLA softball team was ready to
tell the world that the Bruins can’t be taken lightly.
But as the rain moved in, it washed away their six-game unbeaten
streak and brought in four tough losses to humble the team.
Thursday, the No. 17 Bruins battled Stanford with the game
ending in extra innings. In the top of the first, Carissa Millsap
lit up the Cardinal with a three-run double, breaking out of a
mini-slump and Kim Wuest followed with a two-run shot to give the
Bruins a 5-0 advantage.
However, the Bruins would need more runs to win this game,
because freshman sensation Stephanie Swenson was hammered for eight
runs in nine innings as the Cardinal brought across the go-ahead
run in the bottom of the ninth, putting an end to Swenson’s
undefeated season.
Extremely exhausted from the nine-inning battle with the
Cardinal, the Bruins would have to recuperate and battle No. 14
Long Beach State in game two that day.
This time Erin Weiler, a junior transfer, displayed her arm,
beguiling the 49ers through five scoreless innings. But the UCLA
offense was in a deep funk and could only muster a homer by Kim
Wuest, giving her six on the season.
Once again, the Bruins would lose the game in the last inning,
as Weiler could not hold back the pick-axes of the 49ers any
longer. The 49ers pushed across three runs which would be the
difference as UCLA’s offense went to sleep.
In the second day of competition at the Campbell/Cartier
Softball Classics, the Bruins faced their toughest competition
against No. 4 Michigan.
The Bruins performed admirably against the Wolverines, but the
lack of offense was once again fatal to the Bruin attack.
Swenson’s only mistake would be to Cathy Davie who nailed a
three-run homerun. With only two hits on the game, the Bruins fell
to 0-3 in the tournament and had to wait for Saturday to win their
first game in the tournament.
On Saturday, the Bruins lost their first game against Louisana
State University, but bounced back against San Diego State
University with a 8-0 clubbing. This seemed to rejuvenate the
Bruins, as they won their last game of the tournament against
Eastern Michigan behind another magnificent pitching performance
from Weiler, who only gave up one run.
The champion of the tournament was Long Beach State, as the
Bruins got their first taste of tough competition, finishing
2-4.
Making the all-tournament team were Nicole Odom, Wuest and
Danielle Martin.