Freshmen DePonte, Thomas Shine As Huskies Win In Extra Innings

Friday, May 8

Salt Lake City, UT

4:00 PM

University of Washington

40-15, 11-11

Utah

34-17, 12-11

Washington

Utah

Freshmen DePonte, Thomas Shine As Huskies Win In Extra Innings

May 09, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. – Trailing Utah 5-2 in the seventh inning, Washington scored three runs to tie the game and send it into extra innings where freshman Julia DePonte smashed her third home run of the season in the top of the ninth, helping the Huskies to a 7-5 (9) victory.

Washington (40-15, 11-11 Pac-12) and Utah (34-17, 12-11 Pac-12) conclude their series at 1 p.m. PT tomorrow, Saturday, May 9, live on Pac-12 Networks.

Trailing by three runs in the fifth, Kirstyn Thomas came on in relief of starting pitcher Kasey Stanchek and from there, the freshman was dominant, throwing five scoreless frames to earn her third win of the season.

Utah manufactured its way to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After a single and a double put runners at second and third, the Ute's scored the first run of the contest off a squeeze bunt. Utah attempted another squeeze in the next at bat, but Stanchek and catcher Kimberlee Souza were all over it to get the second out of the inning before a fly out ended the frame.

The Huskies used a two-out rally to tie the game in the top of the second. After senior Kelly Meggs reached on a fielder's choice, freshman Trysten Melhart singled and an error loaded the bases. Senior Kylee Lahners then blasted a hard single up the middle over the glove of Utah's starting pitcher Miranda Viramontes to score Meggs and tie the game, 1-1.

After a three up, three down inning for Stanchek and the Husky defense, sophomore Ali Aguilar gave the Huskies their first lead of the series in the top of the third, hitting her 16th home run of the season to put the UW up, 2-1.

Utah hit a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the fourth to lock the game back up at 2-2. One out later, the Ute's hit a double and reached on a hit-by-pitch before scoring off a bloop single into right-center to take back the lead, 3-2.

After a single led off the bottom of the fifth, the Ute's hit their second home run of the game to take a 5-2 lead. With no outs, Thomas entered the game to begin her outstanding outing. Despite the Ute's getting a pair on, Thomas and the Husky defense escaped the inning without any more damage done and trailed by three heading to the sixth.

In the seventh inning, junior Jennie McNeill hit her first career triple to lead off and Lahners homered for the 15th time this season in the next at bat as the Huskies trailed by just one, 5-4. Two outs later, junior Courtney Gano and sophomore Casey Stangel hit back-to-back singles up the middle and DePonte delivered a clutch single to score pinch runner Kelly Burdick and tie the game.

After two quick outs, Utah threatened in the seventh, hitting a single and drawing a walk to put a pair on, but a fly out ended the inning and the Huskies headed to their second extra inning game of the season.

After a 1-2-3 inning for the Husky bats, Utah drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth and two outs later, hit an infield single. After a passed ball, the potential game-winning run stood just 60 feet away with two outs but a fly out to Lahners in center ended the inning.

Souza hit a two-out single through the left side in the top of the ninth before DePonte delivered her second clutch hit of the night, a game-winning two-run home run to boost the Huskies to a 7-5 lead.

Thomas retired the side in order to end the game as the Huskies improved to 2-0 in extra inning games this season while also improving to 40-15 on the year.

Washington and Utah will play the series finale tomorrow (May 9) at 1:05 p.m. PT. The game will air live on Pac-12 Networks.