University of Washington
9-0
Texas A&M
9-4
No. 7/9 Huskies Beat Second Ranked Opponent
February 24, 2011 | Softball
Feb. 24, 2011
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The No. 7/9 Huskies defeated their second ranked opponent of the season, defeating No. 21/24 Texas A&M, 11-4 on Thursday afternoon at the Cathedral City Classic.
The Huskies improved to 9-0 on the year while the Aggies fell to 9-4. Washington plays Fordham at approximately 8 p.m. tonight. Live stats and audio will be available at www.gohuskies.com.
Texas A&M took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning after a triple by Natalie Villarreal and she scored on a double steal.
With one out in the top of the third, the Huskies took the lead for good with two runs. Junior Taylor Smith (Olympia, Wash.) hit a double, her first of two in the game. Smith would end the game 4-for-4, just a triple shy of the cycle.
Fellow junior Kimi Pohlman (Sammamish, Wash.) then placed a perfect bunt right on the third base line a foot from home plate to move Smith to third. After a four-pitch walk by junior Niki Williams (Mission Viejo, Calif.), sophomore Shawna Wright (Lancaster, Calif.) hit a two-RBI single to center field.
UW would also score the next three innings. Freshman Marki Creger-Zier (Steilacoom, Wash.) reached on an error by the Aggie shortstop. Smith singled to right center and senior Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) walked to load the bases. A single by Williams to left field drove in one and a single by Wright scored Smith.
Senior Morgan Stuart (Riverside, Calif.) hit a two-RBI ground rule double for a 6-1 lead. All of the runs in the inning were unearned for Aggie pitcher Lindsey Sisk.
Texas A&M got a run back off of Husky starting pitcher Whitney Jones with a solo home run by Meagan May. Jones, a freshman from Upland, Calif., allowed just two runs on two hits.
With two outs in the fourth, freshman Kaitlin Inglesby entered to pitch for UW and got the final out via strikeout. Inglesby allowed two runs, one earned and picked up a career-high six strikeouts, including the final three outs of the game, improving to 5-0 on the year.
In the top of fifth, Creger-Zier reached on another error by the Aggie shortstop and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Smith hit her sixth home run of the year, a team-high, to left center for an 8-2 lead.
Texas A&M got its final two runs in the fifth.
For the Huskies in the top of the sixth, Stuart singled up the middle and junior Jenna Clifton (Glendale, Ariz.) entered with a two-RBI pinch-hit single. A double by Smith to left field scored the final Husky run.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Inglesby, Kaitlin (5-0)
L: Garza (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Stuart, Morgan 1 ; Clifton, Jenna 1 ; Smith, Taylor 2
HR: Smith, Taylor 1
RBI: Williams, Niki 1 ; Wright, Shawna 3 ; Stuart, Morgan 2 ; Clifton, Jenna 2 ; Smith, Taylor 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Pohlman, Kimi 1 ; Salling, Jenn 1 ; Williams, Niki 1 ; Stuart, Morgan 1 ; Faasua, Jerrin 1 ; Creger-Zier, Marki 2 ; Clifton, Jenna 1 ; Smith, Taylor 3
SB: Pohlman, Kimi 2
HBP: Stuart, Morgan 1
Batting:
3B: Klein 1
HR: Walker 1
RBI: Kliesing 1 ; Walker 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Klein 1 ; Walker 1 ; Dumezich 1 ; Walker 1
SB: Klein 1 ; Kliesing 1
PO: Clopton 1
