JANA SUMMERS Sophomore Monique Mejia
launches from second base as a pinch runner for pitcher Courtney
Dale on Friday. SOFTBALL PREVIEW vs. Today 2 p.m.
Seattle, Washingon
By Andrew Borders
Daily Bruin Reporter
Most UCLA students wouldn’t think of jetting up to Seattle
during midterm week as a quick trip. But that’s where the No.
2 UCLA Bruins (49-4, 10-4 Pac-10) will go to face the No. 13
Washington Huskies (33-18, 7-7) today at 2 p.m.
Enquist knows the sacrifice the student-athletes will have to
make.
“The biggest strain is on the kids’
academics,” said UCLA Head Coach Sue Enquist.
On the field, the Bruins are riding high after last
weekend’s sweep. But they are still 2 1/2 games out of first
in the conference since Arizona has not lost since a 3-0 defeat by
UCLA on April 8.
Wednesday’s likely matchup will reunite UCLA’s Keira
Goerl (21-1, 0.98 ERA) and Tia Bollinger (29-4, 0.91) for UW, the
same two freshmen who dueled for 14 innings on April 13.
Look for a continuation of the hot Bruin hitting that swept this
past weekend and defeated Washington 5-4 and 4-0 last month.
Sophomore Natasha Watley has climbed atop the hitting charts for
the Bruins at .432, with junior Stacey Nuveman at .429 and freshman
Marcel Torres at .408. Six more Bruins are over .300.
While their stats don’t reach as high as UCLA’s,
Washington can hold its own offensively. Three Huskies are over
.300, with senior Kelly Hauxhurst at .388, sophomore Jaime Clark at
.367 and freshman Amanda Oleson at .327.
Enquist remains very confident in her team’s chances of
winning.
“We’ve got a great focus right now and a great
intensity, and if we sustain that, good things are going to
happen,” said Enquist. “I think the biggest thing for
us is to adjust to the weather and play solid defense.”
That same weather suspended Sunday’s Cal-UW game in
Seattle, forcing the Bears to stay an extra day in the Pacific
Northwest. And that same defense has made the difference, for
better or worse, in close games for UCLA.
Goerl, however, noted that the defense won’t be a factor
if she can keep UW from putting the ball in play.
“I have to make my pitches work,” she said.
Her pitches have often been working lately, as Goerl went 16
innings over three games last weekend, allowing four hits. Against
Washington, however, Goerl threw 14 innings and surrendered 11
hits.
But if Goerl can have the kind of performance that she did last
weekend, the Bruins will be able to concentrate on what awaits them
back home: Oregon, Oregon State, and probably a few bluebooks.