May 2, 1998

EUGENE, Ore. -- The Oregon women's softball team split an afternoon doubleheader with UCLA at Howe Field Saturday. Bethany Smith again pitched the Ducks to victory in the second game against the Bruins.

Smith held the Bruins scoreless and without a hit for six and one-third innings to help the Ducks to a 3-1 victory over UCLA. Smith surrendered three hits and struck out four of the 26 batters faced. Offensively, Triawn Custer went two-for-two with 2 RBIs and teammates Tia Dumas and Katie Mackey each added a pair of hits to the nine hit Oregon attack.

"It was good to come back and win the second game but we also would have liked to take both games today," said Oregon head coach Rick Gamez. "Washington is going to be tough tomorrow and we need to come out prepared and ready to play. It was good to see Bethany throw another great ball game today and it only can improve her confidence in herself."

In the opening game UCLA exploded for all of its seven runs in the opening three innings of play. Lupe Brambila hit a grand slam in the top of the first inning to give the Bruins an early 4-0 lead, and UCLA would a two-run top of the second. In the bottom of the second Oregon center fielder Lindsey Welch helped close the gap with a two-run home run, Welch team leading eighth home run helped close the lead to 6-2. The Ducks would add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a double to left field by Dumas, but that is as close as Oregon would get.

The Ducks improve to 37-24 overall and 9-13 in the Pacific-10 Conference, while the Bruins move to 16-23 overall and 6-14 in the Pac-10. Oregon hosts fourth-ranked Washington at Howe Field Sunday starting at 1 pm.

Game 1

UCLA	421	000	0 -- 7	12	1
Oregon	020	002	0 -- 4	7	1

Weiler, Swenson (3) and Millsap; Cook and Planche. 
WP- Swenson (7-8). LP- Cook (20-15).
HR: UCLA- Brambila (2), Odom (4); UO- Welch (8). 

Game 2

UCLA	000	001	0 -- 1	3	1
Oregon	200	010	x -- 3	9	0

Gayer, Weiler (3) and Noack; Smith and Russell. 
WP- Smith (12-8). LP- Gayer (2-7).