UW Goes 2-0 In Day Two Of Sportco Kick Off Classic

Saturday, February 7

Las Vegas, NV

9:00 AM

University of Washington

2-1

UNLV Sportco Kick Off Classic: UC-Davis

0-3

UC Davis

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

February 07, 2015 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Washington Athletics

Washington Powers Way To 8-0 (6) Win Over UC Davis

Washington 8, UC Davis 0 | Stats

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Washington softball continued its 2015 season with a convincing 8-0 win over UC Davis in the first game of the day at the Sportco Kick Off Classic on Saturday morning. Seven UW players recorded hits while Ali Aguilar and Taylor Van Zee were 3-3 at the plate and Casey Stangel recorded 2 RBI to lead the Huskies offensively.

Kasey Stanchek (1-1) started in the circle for the Huskies, throwing four strong innings, scattering three hits and recording three strikeouts to get her first win of the season. Hailey Bator closed out the game, tossing two innings without allowing a hit.

UW and UC Davis were scoreless through two innings before the Huskies opened the floodgates with three runs in the third. After leaving runners on base in both the first and second frames, Aguilar and Van Zee were the spark plug for the Dawgs in the third. Aguilar started the inning by working the count full before delivering a single and Van Zee followed with an RBI double off the wall as the Huskies took a 1-0 lead. Stangel kept the rally going with an RBI single to score Van Zee from second. With runners at first and third, Krystal Aubert recorded her first collegiate hit, producing a one-out single to score pinch runner Kelly Meggs and put Washington on top, 3-0.

The Dawgs' defense retired the side in order in the fourth inning before the offense produced another three-run inning. A trio of singles by Aguilar, Melhart and Van Zee loaded the bases to force a pitching change. Aguilar and Melhart scored off an error before Stangel delivered her second RBI of the game as the Dawgs took a 6-0 lead.

Washington tacked on another run in the fifth when Courtney Gano drew a leadoff walk and singles by Aguilar and Van Zee loaded the bases. The Huskies went on top 7-0 after a wild pitch scored another run.

The Huskies ended the game early after pinch hitter Dani Braun led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple and scored off Jennie McNeill's single.

Two Gano Homers Power UW Past UNLV, 10-7

Washington 10, UNV 7 | Stats

The Washington offense stayed hot Saturday afternoon in the second game of the day against UNLV. The Huskies continued their strong offensive start to the day, recording 15 hits and defeating UNLV, 10-7, in their first full seven-inning game of the season.

In a back-and-forth contest that saw five lead changes and four innings with three or more runs scored, Washington outlasted UNLV, to win its third game of the season.

The Huskies used three pitchers in the game. Casey Stangel made the start, throwing two innings. Hailey Bator recorded the win, tossing the next three before Courtney Schwan came in to close out the game.

Courtney Gano led the Husky offense going 3-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Ali Aguilar was also a terror to opposing pitchers, going 6-for-7 on the day with three singles, three doubles and four runs scored.

The Huskies scored the first run of the game in the second inning after Krystal Aubert doubled to score Dani Braun who drew a leadoff walk.

UNLV then used two hits and an error to score three of their own in the bottom half of the inning and take a 3-1 lead. The Husky defense came back strong to retire the side in the third and set up the offense for three straight three-run innings.

Gano started the rally by launching her second home run in as many days in the top of the fourth to trim the Husky deficit to one. Lahners' two-out single kept the inning alive before Kimberlee Souza, who medical redshirted last season, hit her first home run since May 30, 2013 to put the Huskies on top, 4-3.

UNLV scored in the bottom half of the fourth, using three hits and an error to match Washington's three runs and take a 6-4 lead. However, Washington punched back in the fifth, led by Aguilar whose RBI single scored Aubert who drew a walk. Taylor Van Zee then singled to score a pair and put the Huskies back on top, 7-6.

After back-to-back singles by Braun and Aubert in the sixth, Gano blasted a three-run home run to put the Dawgs on top for good, 10-6. She now has three home runs on the young season.

UNLV tacked on a run of their own in the sixth but the Huskies proved to be too strong, escaping with a 10-7 win and improving to 3-1 on the season.

The Huskies will play their final game of the Sportco Kick Off Classic tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. against Louisville. Fans can follow along via live stats or by following us on Twitter at @UWSoftball.