EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Junior shortstop
Natasha Watley successfully steals second base in
UCLA’s first victory over Purdue on Saturday. UCLA d. Texas
A&M 9-1, 8-0 UCLA d. Purdue 4-2, 3-0 UCLA d. Florida
11-1
By Michael Sneag
Daily Bruin Contributor
Sometimes, winning is not good enough.
Although the UCLA softball team won all five of their games at
the Stacy Winsberg Memorial held at Easton Stadium this weekend,
their play was not entirely up to their high standards.
“Right now, we are the best inconsistent team in the
country, but that is not UCLA softball,” head coach Sue
Enquist said.
“We had glimpses of great play and execution, but at the
same time, we aren’t ready sometimes to make the
plays.”
The Bruins started off with two easy wins on Friday against
Texas A&M Corpus Christi, winning 9-1, and 8-0. Sophomore Keira
Goerl pitched her third no-hitter of the season in the second game.
Both games were shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.
On Saturday, UCLA played two close games against Purdue but once
again, ended up winning both, by scores of 4-2 and 3-0. The offense
was slightly stymied, but the pitching of Goerl in the first game,
and senior Amanda Freed in the second, gave the Bruins the
wins.
Limited to one game on Sunday by darkness, the Bruins dispatched
the Florida Gators by an 11-1 margin, with six of those runs coming
in the top of the seventh.
Freed picked up her third win of the weekend by allowing four
hits and two walks. The lone run came in the first when the Freed
gave up a double on her first pitch, and the defense allowed two
errors in the infield.
Senior Stacey Nuveman opened the floodgates in the seventh with
her eighth home run of the season, leaving her only eight shy of
setting the NCAA record for career home runs.
“Honestly, I feel like I am just going up to the plate and
doing my job,” Nuveman said. “I know I have the power,
but I am not going for the home run, because it doesn’t work
like that. If it works out, great, if not, life goes on.”
The Bruins excelled on the base-paths this weekend. They were
extremely aggressive, stealing 19 bases over the five games, and
consistently forcing their opponents into rushing throws on the
bases.
Junior Natasha Watley was the main agitator. She stole eight
bases, scored eight runs and constantly put pressure on the defense
with her speed.
“That is what our speed can do,” Nuveman said.
“Natasha’s aggressiveness is a nightmare because every
throw has to be perfect. That is definitely a weapon that coach
likes to use.”
At this point in the season, the inconsistency is what is
hurting the team. After the errors in the first inning of
Sunday’s game, the Bruins came up with several sparkling
gems, including two double plays, and a great backhanded grab by
second baseman Monique Mejia.
The team is aware of its talent, but needs to overcome the
mental mistakes that are hindering it.
“The physical stuff will come through because we have the
ability,” Mejia explained. “We need to get our mental
state right ““ that “˜bring it on’ attitude and
expect the ball. We are definitely going to fix that.”
Before the grueling Pac-10 schedule starts, the Bruins hope to
gain that necessary edge to get them close to meeting UCLA
softball’s lofty expectations.