Washington Softball Moves to 10-2 In Doubleheader Sweep

Monday, February 16

Phoenix, AZ

11:00 AM

University of Washington

9-2

Grand Canyon

6-5

Washington

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Washington Athletics

February 17, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Washington Athletics

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Led by 4-hit performances by senior Kylee Lahners and sophomore Ali Aguilar, Washington improved to 10-2 on the season, earning a pair of wins over Grand Canyon Monday in Phoenix, Ariz. A total of 11 different players recorded hits for the Huskies on the day, with six players finishing with multiple hits.

Grand Canyon entered the day with a 6-4 record in just their second Division I season. The Lopes fall to 6-6 overall after the high-powered Husky offense exploded for 25 hits and 21 runs in the two games. The offense has been the key component this season, racking in 133 hits and scoring 104 runs in its first 12 games.

Junior Hailey Bator made the start in the circle in the first game, improving to 5-0 on the season. Lahners finished with two home runs and four RBI to lead the squad and Aguilar added three hits for the Huskies, including her third home run of the season.

For the second time this season, Aguilar hit a leadoff home run in the opening at-bat of the game to set the tone as the Huskies went on to score eight runs.

After the Husky defense retired the side in order in the opening frame, Grand Canyon hit a two-out solo home run in the second to lock the game at 1-1.

Aguilar and Lahners were again the spark plug in the third after Aguilar hit a one-out single and would come home off a sac-fly by Lahners. Van Zee, who drew a walk, scored off a Souza single to put the Dawgs on top, 3-1.

Grand Canyon made it a 4-2 game in the bottom half of the inning after loading the bases and scoring off a sac-fly, but Washington needed just one crack of the bat to get that run back as Lahners hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth.

The Huskies went on to score three runs in the sixth after Van Zee's double scored Trysten Melhart who reached on an error. Lahners then hit her third home run of the season and second of the game to give the Huskies a 8-2 lead.

Senior Kasey Stanchek closed out the game for Washington, pitching the final three innings.

The Husky bats stayed hot in the second game of the day to earn their 10th victory of the season, winning 13-6. Freshman pitcher Kristin Cochran made her first career start in the circle for the Huskies, tossing the first three innings.

The Huskies jumped out to an 8-1 lead after three innings, but the Lopes hung around, scoring three runs in the fourth and two in the sixth to stay in the game.

Washington took another early lead in the top of the first. After a leadoff walk by Aguilar, Van Zee hit her second home run of the season to put the Huskies up, 2-0. Van Zee also hit an RBI double in the second, finishing with a team-leading three RBI.

After adding two more in the second off hits by Braun, Aubert and Van Zee, Washington scored four runs in the third. Souza was hit-by-pitch, Casey Stangel hit a double and was brought home off another hit by Braun. With runners on second and third, Burdick singled to score both runners, and also scored on the play after a throwing error by the pitcher.

After back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases in the fourth, fellow freshman Kirstyn Thomas came on in relief. The Lopes hit a double and a single to clear the bases, leaving Cochran with a final line of four runs allowed over three innings.

Back-to-back solo home runs by Grand Canyon in the sixth forced the Huskies to make a pitching change, brining in Stanchek, who allowed just two hits over the final two innings to close out the game and extend Washington's winning streak to five games.

Up next, the Huskies will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii this weekend to play Central Florida, UTEP and Hawaii.