ERIC M. JUKELEVICS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior Arizona shortstop Lovie Jung fields a fly ball earlier this month against UCLA at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Wildcats sweep three-game homestand against Oregon schools; Candrea continues to look for team consistency

As the Arizona softball team moves into the final month of its season, its head coach continues to search for the consistency that guided his program to its sixth national championship a year ago.

Despite completing a perfect weekend with a 2-1 victory over No. 16 Oregon State yesterday, head coach Mike Candrea did not disguise his displeasure for the way in which his Wildcats came out for Sundayâs finale.

ãIn April, I canât continue to be a cheerleader to try and pump this team up,ä Candrea said. ãThey have to understand right now that they have this uniform on Îcause they can play and they need to come out here and compete.

ãIâve told them all year long theyâre soft, and I still believe this team is sometimes a very soft team.ä

Candreaâs comments followed a close contest with the Beavers in which the Wildcats were not nearly as in control as the previous two nights. Arizona knocked off Oregon 11-3 on Friday before topping the Beavers 7-0 on Saturday to open up a seven-game homestand.

The wins kept No. 2 Arizona (44-7 overall, 11-3 Pac-10) a half-game behind top-ranked UCLA in the Pacific 10 Conference standings. The Wildcats will attempt to creep up on the Bruins when they play host to Arizona State tomorrow night at 7.

With sophomore pitcher Jenny Gladding locked in a pitcherâs duel with Beaver senior Crystal Draper yesterday, senior Jennie Finch pushed across the gameâs first run with her second home run in as many days ÷ a solo blast in the fourth into the left-field bleachers.

A Wildcat error in the fifth helped the Beavers (35-18, 6-9) plate their only run of the game and tie the score 1-1. For the second consecutive inning, Arizona misplayed a sacrifice bunt attempt to place runners on first and second.

Two batters later, OSU junior Clare Burnum drove a run-scoring double into left-center field just beyond the reach of freshman center fielder Crystal Farley. Candrea then replaced Gladding with Finch (26-2), and the senior retired the final two batters of the inning.

Leading the nation with 79 home runs this season, the Wildcats played some small ball to score what proved to be the gameâs winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

After junior shortstop Lovie Jung walked with two outs, she appeared to be thrown out while attempting to steal second. Yet, when the Beavers second baseman could not hang on to the throw, Jung was safe in scoring position.

Freshman left fielder Courtney Fossatti promptly delivered a run-scoring single to center field, and pumped her fists as she advanced to second on the throw to the plate.

ãI was finally feeling comfortable again with myself,ä said Fossatti, who finished the weekend 6-for-11 with three runs scored. ãCoach (Candrea) was telling me to do what I felt more comfortable ÷ slap or hit ÷ and I chose the slap and got a pitch down and it felt good to hit it like that.

ãI think it shows how good our team is,ä Fossatti said of the gameâs decisive run. ãWe have more than just the long ball to help us win a game.ä

Candrea said he felt the performance of his freshman outfielder was one of the brightest spots of the series for Arizona.

ãThe younger girls are sometimes fighting confidence,ä Candrea said, ãand I thought Fossatti really came out this weekend and played her ass off, and finally played the way sheâs capable of playing.

ãA lot of it may have been being on our field, and she comes up in a big situation and moves the ball for us.ä

Things began in a similar fashion during Saturdayâs contest, until Arizona took control of the game with a six-run fifth inning. Finch broke open a 1-0 battle with Arizonaâs 13th grand slam of the season. The two-time All-American dominated in the circle as well, scattering just three singles while striking out 12 in the 7-0 shutout. Jung set the pace for the offense, finishing the day 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

The fifth inning again proved pivotal in Arizonaâs 11-3 victory against Oregon (22-24, 1-14) Friday as the Wildcats pushed across five runs to enact the eight-run mercy rule. After her 14th home run put UA ahead 5-0 in the fourth, Jung delivered an RBI triple to begin the scoring an inning later. Fossatti, sophomore Leneah Manuma and freshman Jackie Coburn also added RBI singles in the decisive frame, as the Wildcats offense flourished in the teamâs return to Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.

Jung and Fossatti led the 13-hit attack with three hits apiece. The junior shortstop also knocked in three runs, while Manuma and sophomore catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest both added a pair of RBIs.

Gladding earned her 18th victory of the year, striking out seven in the five-inning win.

As a youthful roster continues to work through some growing pains, Candrea said he continues to search for consistency in his teamâs effort and focus.

ã(Iâve told the team) donât be tentative, donât be scared,ä Candrea said. ãItâs a growing process, and itâs the most trying part of the process.

ãGood enough is not good enough, especially at this time of year, and Iâm just trying to get us to pick it up a notch.ä