University of Washington
18-4
Santa Clara Invitational: Howard
1-10
Huskies Run-Rule Howard, Santa Clara At Santa Clara Invitational
March 01, 2015 | Softball
Senior Kylee Lahners and sophomore Ali Aguilar each recorded four RBI on the day to lead the Husky offense while junior Courtney Gano batted 3-for-4 against Santa Clara, including her ninth home run of the season. Freshman Taylor Van Zee and senior Kelli Suguro also belted out home runs.
The Husky pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts and nine hits and five walks allowed en route to the back-to-back run-rule victories. Junior Hailey Bator (8-1) earned the first game's decision behind four strikeouts and two hits through four innings, while sophomore Casey Stangel (4-1) registered a four-strikeout, four-hit effort through six innings against Santa Clara. Freshman Courtney Schwan appeared in relief in the first contest, allowing three hits in one inning worked.
Washington, who was the visiting team in both games, jumped out to an early lead in both games, plating runs in the first inning and multiple runs in the fourth to run away with the run-rule victories.
The Huskies built its early advantage against Howard after Van Zee and Aguilar hit back-to-back doubles to score the first run of the game.
Howard tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third, hitting a single, drawing a walk and loaded the bases off error. A single then scored the first and only Bison run of the game.
The Huskies went on to score nine unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth, highlighted by Trysten Melhart's RBI single to give Washington the lead in the top of the fourth. Julia DePonte drew a lead-off walk and Jennie McNeill's bunt advanced her into scoring position for Melhart. Lahners' double then plated Melhart and the Dawgs went on top, 3-1. Aguilar smacked her first triple of the season to score Lahners as the Dawgs took a 4-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth.
Suguro hit her third home run of the season in the fifth to give the Huskies a 5-1 edge. Lahners' second hit of the game plated McNeill and the Huskies took advantage of Howard miscues to tack on five more runs and push the game into run-rule territory.
Washington used another fast start to defeat the Broncos in its second game of the day, scoring twice in the first frame. Lahners was hit-by-pitch (for the third time in two days), Van Zee reached on an error and Stangel walked to load the bases. The Huskies then scored two runs off an error to take an early 2-0 advantage.
Santa Clara scored in the bottom half of the inning after a leadoff walk and single put a runner into scoring position and an RBI groundout made it a 2-1 game.
The Huskies went on to score eight unanswered runs, including Van Zee's fourth homer of the season in the top of the third. An infield bunt-single by McNeill in the fourth loaded the bases for Lahners whose single down the line scored two runs. Van Zee drew a walk and Aguilar's double over the head of the right fielder scored her and Lahners to give the Dawgs a 7-1 lead. Gano's fifth double of the season then scored Aguilar.
In the sixth, Gano smacked her team-leading ninth home run of the season before back-to-back doubles by Stangel and Souza put the Huskies on top for good, 10-1.
Washington will play at home for the first time this season, hosting the Husky Classic next weekend in Seattle. Click here for ticket information.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bator, Hailey (8-1)
L: FLYNN,J (1-5)
Batting:
2B: Lahners, Kylee 1 ; Van Zee, Taylor 1 ; Aguilar, Ali 1 ; Souza, Kimberlee 1
3B: Aguilar, Ali 1
HR: Suguro, Kelli 1
RBI: Lahners, Kylee 2 ; Aguilar, Ali 2 ; Suguro, Kelli 1 ; Souza, Kimberlee 1 ; Melhart, Trysten 1
SH: Van Zee, Taylor 1 ; McNeill, Jennie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lahners, Kylee 1 ; Burdick, Kelly 1 ; Van Zee, Taylor 1 ; Aguilar, Ali 1 ; Suguro, Kelli 1 ; Meggs, Kelly 1 ; DePonte, Julia 2 ; McNeill, Jennie 1 ; Melhart, Trysten 1
SB: Burdick, Kelly 2 ; Van Zee, Taylor 1 ; McNeill, Jennie 2 ; Melhart, Trysten 1
HBP: Aubert, Krystal 1
Batting:
RBI: LAWRENCE,D 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DAVIS,A 1
