EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Junior pitcher Amanda
Freed pitches during UCLA’s 8-0 victory over University of
San Diego. UCLA 8 USD 0 UCLA 7
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By Andrew Borders
Daily Bruin Contributor
It turned out that the Bruins were just as comfortable in their
own Easton Stadium as they had been on the road for their first
seven games.
The UCLA softball team (9-0) swept the University of San Diego
Toreros (2-4) in a doubleheader Saturday 8-0 and 7-0.
Junior pitcher Amanda Freed picked up her fourth win of the
season. She pitched five innings and gave up only one hit, a single
to senior Anne Skidmore. Freed faced only one batter over the
minimum and struck out six.
Senior Courtney Dale became the first pitcher of the season to
make a relief appearance when she pitched the sixth and final
inning, retiring the side.
Though the offense provided the highlights, UCLA head coach Sue
Enquist made sure that the Bruins focused on defense as well.
“We played some solid defense and I’m really pleased
that we had an opportunity to work all of the pitchers in,”
she said.
The Bruins have five players on their roster who primarily
pitch, and four of them made it into the circle. The fifth,
freshman Marcel Torres, played third base for part of the second
game.
Freshman infielder Claire Sua provided the first fireworks of
the day when she hit a grand-slam home run, her second four-bagger
of the season.
In the third inning, Dale, then the designated player, hit a
solo home run, her first of the year. Two innings later, Tairia
Mims connected for a two-run home run. The Bruins scored again in
the sixth to invoke the mercy rule. Junior catcher Stacey Nuveman
received credit for that RBI when she was thrown out on the
fielder’s choice.
Home runs accounted for three of UCLA’s eight hits in the
game.
After the game, Sua spoke about the first-inning homer.
“That one’s a little more special because it’s
our first home game and it’s my first year,” she said.
“I didn’t really mean to hit it a bunch, it just
happened, I didn’t think it was going over at all.”
For San Diego, senior Jade Quentin pitched three innings and was
responsible for five Bruin runs.
Freshman Allison Williams pitched the next two innings, allowing
two more UCLA runs and recording the Toreros’ only strikeout
of the game. Junior Liz Wells would allow the last run for, getting
only one out in the sixth before the Bruins scored to end the
game.
The second game did not see a run until the third inning. Bruin
senior Stephanie Swenson started the back half of the doubleheader
and pitched five innings, surrendering only three hits and holding
the Toreros scoreless. She also had six strikeouts in her third win
of the season.
Freshman Keira Goerl came in to relieve in the sixth inning,
retiring six of the seven batters she faced and giving up one
walk.
“It was a little more tense the first couple of innings
(than the first game), but I knew the offense would come through
and get some hits,” Swenson said.
San Diego freshman Anna Russell held the Bruins scoreless for
two innings, but UCLA manufactured a run in the third inning to
break the scoreless tie. Russell got into a jam in the fourth and
surrendered two more runs. Senior Jennifer Delpit relieved her with
two outs in the inning. Delpit gave up two more runs in the fourth,
adding another score in both the fifth and sixth innings.
“I felt good in the first three, I started to get a little
tired, I didn’t throw enough variety of pitches. They started
to catch on,” Russell said.
San Diego coach Lin Adams put the losses into perspective.
“You’re facing some of the best hitters in the
country. UCLA has probably the best pitching staff in the country
too,” she said.
Nuveman and sophomore Natasha Watley got two RBIs each. Eight
different Bruins got one of UCLA’s eight hits in the
game.
“I think we were real consistent with our hitting and
that’s what helped us,” Sua said.
The Bruins will face their second ranked opponent of the season
at Easton Stadium Wednesday, when they face No. 22 Long Beach
State.