Aguilar, Souza Home Runs Lift Huskies Past No. 19 UCF

Friday, February 20

Honolulu, HI

5:30 PM

University of Washington

11-2

Bank of Hawaii Invitational: Central Florida

8-1

UCF

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

February 21, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Trailing 3-2 in the sixth inning, Ali Aguilar's leadoff home run tied the game and in her homecoming, Waialua, Hawai'i native Kimberlee Souza hit the second home run of the inning to boost the Huskies to a 4-3 win over UCF Friday afternoon. The No. 17 Huskies (11-2) handed No. 19 UCF (8-1) its first loss of the season in the first game of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational in Honolulu.

Casey Stangel (2-0) started in the circle for the Huskies, pitching the first two innings, giving up one run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Hailey Bator (6-0) earned the win for Washington, coming into the game in the fourth inning and Kasey Stanchek pitched the final out.

Shelby Turnier tossed a complete game for UCF, giving up four runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts in her first loss in the circle this season.

UCF entered the game undefeated with an 8-0 record including a pair of shutout victories against then-No. 13 Minnesota and then-No. 18 Missouri. The Knights fall to 8-1 overall on the season after Stangel, Bator and Stanchek limited their high-powered offense to three runs on five hits.

Stangel and Turnier dueled effectively from the circle through the first four innings. After two scoreless innings, Washington broke through in the third after Dani Braun drew a leadoff walk and Kelli Suguro singled to put runners at first and second. Kelly Burdick's bunt advanced them and the pair scored off Aguilar's single.

UCF opened the fourth with back-to-back hits and the Knights scored their first run of the game off a hard hit ball to right-center, but a diving catch by Kylee Lahners kept the Husky lead at 2-1.

The Knights took a one-run lead in the sixth after drawing a walk with one out to put a runner on and a two-run home run to left center put UCF on top, 3-2.

The Husky offense showed their grit in the bottom of the sixth, hitting two home runs to regain the lead. Aguilar's fourth home run of the season knotted the game at 3-3. With one out, Lahners sent a 1-1 pitch deep to center where the center fielder reached over to rob her of the home run. One batter later, Kimberlee Souza followed the almost-home run with a high shot over the fence to regain the Husky lead, 4-3.

The Knights did not go down without a fight in the seventh after a bunt and a walk put the go-ahead run on. With two-outs, Stanchek entered to close out the game for the Dawgs. UCF drew a walk to load the bases, but a fly out to left field ended the game as the Huskies handed UCF its first loss of the season.

Aguilar's two hits and three RBI led the Husky offense.

Washington is back in action at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational on Saturday. The Huskies play UTEP at 3:30 p.m. PT before facing host Hawaii at 8 p.m. PT.