Softball hopes Cal Poly remedies recent slump

Friday, May 12, 1995

Softball hopes Cal Poly remedies recent slump

Mustangs provide last tune-up before Bruins hit NCAAs

By Rick Pal

The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs come into town on Saturday for a date with the UCLA softball team. Saturday's game will be the Bruins' last opportunity to fine-tune their game before they roll into the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 19.

Cal Poly (25-14 overall) will provide a test for the recently sluggish Bruins, who have dropped four of their last nine games after beginning the season winning 36 out of their first 38 games. Despite the recent losses, UCLA (41-6) remains confident in their play.

"We're in a really good place despite the fact we fell short against Washington. I look to see a really strong game on our behalf," UCLA co-head coach Sue Enquist said. "Were not doing anything new or fancy at the end of the year."

The Mustangs close out their season on Saturday having completed the most rigorous part of the schedule. They were swept by No. 3 Cal State Fullerton last Friday and stole one from No. 4 Fresno State on Sunday. Not bad for a team that only last year was playing Division II ball.

"UCLA is not going to take Cal Poly too lightly because they have had some significant wins in the past month which validates them in our eyes," Enquist said. "They have also beaten some good teams such as Fresno State."

Cal Poly brings with it arguably the best freshman pitcher in the country in Desarie Knipfer. Despite a misleading 12-8 record, Knipfer is ranked in the top five in ERA with her 0.54. She averages close to seven strikeouts a game and boasts 144 on the season.

And their other starting pitcher, Kelly Smith, isn't too bad either considering she is also a freshman. Currently sporting a 10-4 record and an impressive 1.46 ERA, Smith has struck out 47 batters of her own.

Even though Cal Poly rotates the two freshmen pitching phenoms, hitting is clearly their achille's heel. Cal Poly has sent only six out of the yard and has only two players hitting above .300. In comparison, UCLA has six batters hitting above the .300 plateau.

"They have had great pitching performances (but you can't) take anything away from the players behind them because somebody's scoring the runs for them to win," Enquist said.

"We are just going to work on consistency and stay strong emotionally because we have been inconsistent in the past week."