Softball shuts out both Oregon teams in series
Selden pitches her way to third place in UCLA’s all-time strikeouts list at start of Friday’s game
The UCLA softball team was able to put its past struggles in Oregon behind and play like the top-ranked team in the nation last weekend.
The Bruins defeated the Oregon Ducks 7-0 on Friday and the Oregon State Beavers 1-0 on Saturday, before the final game with the Beavers on Sunday was rained out.
This weekend’s games were very different stylistically.
On Friday the No. 1 Bruins (42-5, 14-3 Pac-10) took it to the Ducks (21-21, 3-11), on whom they scored five runs with two outs in the top of the second inning.
Saturday was a pitchers’ duel, with UCLA junior Lisa Dodd and sophomore Anjelica Selden combining to shut out the No. 5 Beavers (37-9, 9-6).
“The team did a good job of coming up here and playing consistently,” UCLA coach Sue Enquist said. “We clutched up when we needed to. We strung good rallies together on Friday. And that gave us momentum going into (Saturday).”
Friday’s game began with a bang.
In the bottom of the first, Selden (27-4) struck out Sari-Jane Jenkins, recording not only the first out of the game but also her 785th career strikeout. With that strikeout, Selden passed former Bruin and Olympic star Lisa Fernandez on the UCLA career strikeout list to move into third place.
Selden is now behind only Debbie Doom (952) and Keira Goerl (1,095).
“I had no idea. I just found out,” Selden said after the games. “(When I’m out there), I just focus on doing what I can to help my team win.”
Selden later added that she greatly credits her catcher, senior Emily Zaplatosch, for helping her succeed.
“She really does a great job,” Selden said.
“I think it’s just a testament of her abilities as a pitcher,” Enquist said. “Any time you can be mentioned in the same sentence as Lisa Fernandez, that’s impressive.”
Selden finished Friday’s game with 11 strikeouts.
In Friday’s second inning, the Bruins sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on four hits, two walks and an error.
In the sixth, junior outfielders Ashley Herrera and Tara Henry slapped out a pair of base knocks. They both scored when the next batter, senior third baseman Andrea Duran, tripled.
Saturday saw Dodd (15-1) starting against Oregon State’s Ta’Tyana McElroy (14-5).
After the Beavers threatened in the third, Enquist substituted Selden for Dodd, who retired the threat.
The Bruins scored in the top of the fifth, when Duran doubled off the center-field wall. She advanced on a pop-out by sophomore right fielder Krista Colburn and then scored on a single to left by senior second baseman Caitlin Benyi.
“Dodd and Selden combined for a good pitching outing (Saturday). We got the runners on and did what we needed to do,” Enquist said.
Selden said she enjoys the teamwork she finds between herself and Dodd in the circle.
“It’s nice to know we can have that combination in those (type of) games and come out and win. It’s good to have two different pitchers, to give the other team a different look,” Selden said.
The Bruins travel on short rest to California and Stanford this weekend to wrap up the regular season.
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