By Michael Sneag
Daily Bruin Contributor
Amid swirling winds and dust devils that made Easton Stadium
look more like Candlestick Park, the No. 1 Bruins (29-3) used a
combination of timely hitting and the usual stellar pitching to
beat the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara (10-21).
They won both games of the doubleheader, 7-1 and 4-0, with
senior Amanda Freed pitching five innings in the first game to earn
her 14th win. Sophomore Keira Goerl pitched all seven of the second
game to match Freed with her 14th.
“The team is playing really well behind us, and that makes
it easier on us as pitchers,” Goerl said. “Knowing the
offense is going to score just gives us more confidence, and allows
us to relax a little.”
Now heading into a 10-day break for finals, the Bruins will look
to maintain the momentum. They know they have to return strong for
their last non-conference games against Fresno State before hitting
the tough Pac-10 schedule.
“It will be a good test to see how we come back,”
junior shortstop Natasha Watley said. “We are in a good place
right now, and I don’t think it will affect us too
much.”
Watley was her usual self, being the catalyst of the
offense.
After having her 29-game hitting streak halted over the weekend,
she started another streak immediately and added to it by going
five for eight, scoring three runs and adding four stolen bases to
give her 28 of the year.
Despite the swirling winds, in both games, the Bruins scored
early. In the first game, the Bruins scored a run in each of the
first two innings but opened things up by scoring five in the
fourth inning.
Sophomore Claire Sua’s soaring three-run homerun that
cleared the scoreboard in leftfield was the backbreaker.
The blast opened up a 6-1 lead that UCLA wouldn’t
relinquish.
In the second game, Watley’s two- run triple in the second
inning did the same. The early support gave Goerl extra confidence,
and allowed her to rack up eight strikeouts, giving the squad in
the bleachers plenty of reasons to cheer.
“We are starting to turn a corner defensively and I feel
good about where we are,” UCLA head coach Sue Enquist said.
“Our pitching has been great, but both Amanda and Keira know
they have some work to do and that is what you want at this point
in the season.”
As the Bruins wrapped up the second game, the winds actually
settled down a bit, giving reason to think that the gusty breezes
may have actually been a result of the Bruin’s potent offense
and dominant offense rather than basic meteorology.